


Hang the DJ

by whatlighttasteslike (waitingforeleven)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: (sort of), (to the extreme), Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Black Mirror - Freeform, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, F/M, First Dates, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Online Dating, POV Jemma Simmons, Pining, Reunions, Romance, Sexual Content, Sharing a Bed, dating apps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-23 22:14:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13797435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waitingforeleven/pseuds/whatlighttasteslike
Summary: After getting paired up in a dating app that puts expiration dates on all relationships, Fitz and Jemma hope the System will live up to its promise of finding them their true romantic matches. But as they navigate the world of the System, they soon begin to question its logic.A FitzSimmons Black Mirror AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an FS AU of the Black Mirror episode _Hang the DJ._
> 
> For those who haven't seen it and may be worried about the dark and depressing nature of most Black Mirror episodes, rest assured, this is _not_ one of those episodes. :)
> 
> Many thanks to fitzcamebacktome on tumblr for helping me with this! I definitely would not have been able to finish this without you! <3

 

 

 

The gentle and reassuring tone of her Coach’s voice did little to calm Jemma’s nerves as she tapped her foot vigorously underneath the restaurant booth. The small circular device in her hand had informed her earlier that her first match would arrive at the Hub restaurant in a few minutes time, but with no information about the person, Jemma didn’t know what to expect from her first relationship since enrolling in the System.

The much raved about System promised to pair each participant with their ultimate romantic match through careful and sophisticated data collection over the course of many relationships. Upon being matched with another person, the System informed the couple how long they would ultimately be together, which could range anywhere from a few hours to several years. But no matter the amount of time until the expiry date, the participants were required to stay in the relationship while residing in shared living quarters inside the System world, which helped to gather information about the participants in order to eventually find their true matches. Once the System matched its participants with their true pairings, they were allowed the leave the world of the System and spend the rest of their lives together.

Although restrictive in its method of finding perfect matches, with a 99.8% success rate, the System nearly guaranteed that it would find the right match for each participant. But even with her confidence in the System, Jemma’s lack of experience in dating altogether sent her mind into a nervous frenzy. She knew her hobbies weren’t as conventional as other participants, and she didn’t like to think she was too particular about potential companions. But this was supposed to provide her with the person she would spend the rest of her life with, so she wasn’t about to take that lightly.

As the clock neared 7:30 pm, Jemma curled in on herself behind the booth, tugging on the edge of her skirt in an anxious habit before tapping the side of her small device to activate it. “Coach?” Jemma whispered. “Is there really nothing you can tell me about the person? Maybe a hobby or two?”

“ _Negative_ ,” the artificial intelligence voice responded. “ _I can only confirm their identity once they arrive_.”

“Well, that’s less than helpful. But you’ll be here, right? If I have any last-minute questions?”

“ _Of course. The System is always here to provide you with guidance as you embark on this journey with your first relationship. Any thoughts and questions will also provide crucial information that the System will use to properly match you with your true pairing_.”

“Okay, so, honesty and openness going forward. Got it.” With a satisfied nod, Jemma placed the device back on the table and scanned the restaurant for the fifth time, but still found no one approaching her booth. After a deep sigh, she picked the device back up and cradled it between her hands. “Just one more thing. Am I allowed to know what sort of information the System is gathering? I excel at experiments and data collection myself, so maybe I could help assist in sifting through the information, as it might help—”

“ _That will not be necessary. The System will complete all data collection pertaining to your experiences, and will then use that information to find your ultimate match_.”

“Yes, I’m aware of the process. Thank you.”

Out of the corner of her eye, a figured moved from behind a couple at the bar drinking martinis, so Jemma turned her head to catch a glance at the man. He wasn’t very tall, but from her place across the restaurant, she could tell he was rather handsome with a kind expression on his face. A sudden thrill worked its way through her stomach once she realized he seemed to be in search of a guest within the crowded Hub restaurant, maybe even her table.

A smile curled up on Jemma’s face. “Is that him?” she asked urgently into her device.

Instead of its usual quick verbal response, the device produced a video in real-time of the man as he made his way towards her table. “ _This is him_.”  

Jemma covered her mouth with her hand as her device confirmed he was indeed her first match. “Oh. Okay.” Not wanting to appear dependent on her Coach, she placed the device next to her on the booth and straightened her skirt one last time underneath the table.

The man must have seen a similar video of Jemma, as he stopped in his tracks, nearly stumbling into a waiter in the process, and looked down at his device before straightening up and scanning the tables. And then at once, Jemma’s gaze locked on his, and his eyes lit up. There was something about his gaze that caused Jemma’s breath to hitch, almost as if he were familiar to her, even though she knew that was impossible. From his look alone, she could already sense there was something truly special about him, the sincerity and youth behind his eyes so entrancing that Jemma had to swallow hard to hold herself together. As he took a step towards the booth, she watched as he seemed to try to contain his smile.

Jemma glanced down toward her device. “Remind me to breathe, would you?” she said through the corner of her mouth.

“ _I cannot guarantee that I can provide consistent reminders for oxygen intake_.”

“I was joking, Coach,” she huffed. “Lay off.”

Nudging her device under her skirt just in time, the man was suddenly at the table, so Jemma looked up with what she hoped was her most genuine smile. Finally seeing him up close, she took in the many details of his appearance that she found uttering endearing. He wore a sensible button down and slacks, as well as a sports coat that he filled out nicely through his shoulders. He’d skipped on a tie, a decision Jemma was thankful for as she hoped her simple blue dress was formal enough for the occasion. Beyond his wardrobe, his eyes were a startling shade of blue, and now that she could see his face up close, it was hard for her not to smile like an idiot at his sweet expression.

“Hi,” she said, nearly breathless.

“Hi. Are you…?”

Hearing his Scottish accent only made her smile widen. “I’m Jemma,” she replied eagerly as she stood from her seat, extending her hand forward.

He took it earnestly and gave it a gentle shake. “Fitz.” As he held her hand for a moment longer, his eyes tracked down from her face to the rest of her, his gaze sending a shiver down her spin, and it was at that exact moment that the toe of his shoe managed to get lodged underneath the table leg, sending him forward as his arms frantically tried to catch hold of something. Jemma lurched forward as he stumbled and clutched him by the elbows to steady him, his breath tickling her nose as she came just centimeters away from his face.

“Are you okay?” she asked, filling her voice with concern but adding in a single chuckle to lessen his probable embarrassment.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he answered instantly. “Thank you.” Even though his voice was steady, Jemma could see his ears and cheeks turning a stark shade of crimson, so she squeezed his arms and gave him a soft smile as she eased him toward the booth. As he sat down heavily and reached for his water glass, she returned to her side of the booth and covered her mouth with her hand to hide her now widening smile.

“Sorry, I’m just a bit nervous,” he explained after gulping down half his water. “It’s my first time on the System.”

“Really? Mine too.” His words sent a wave of comfort through her, helping her relax into her seat.

“Oh? Okay. That’s… that’s good, then. We’re in the same boat.”

“Yes, exactly.”

“So, how are you?” he asked, his voice calmer.

“A little nervous as well,” she admitted, “but you can understand why. I’m still trying to figure out how all of this works.” She gestured toward her device. “Speaking of which, shall we check the expiry date? We have to tap to reveal at the same time.”

“Right, yeah, we can do that,” he agreed.

They each pulled out their devices and held them close to each other across the table, their fingers hovering over the screens as they locked eyes.

“Ready?” Jemma asked. “On three. One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

With a single tap of their fingers, their devices lit up to display the allotted time for their relationship. Before Jemma could register the calculated amount of time, a countdown clock appeared before her, and she watched the seconds begin to tick down as she felt her heart pounding in her ears.

“Huh,” she said plainly, her voice slightly wavering despite her efforts to remain as calm as possible. “Twelve hours.”

When she looked up, Fitz’s eyes were still glued to his device, a similar stunned expression on his face. “That’s not very long,” he replied.

Jemma noticed a small frown creeping onto his face, so she wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Maybe it’s because it’s our first go at it? Like it’s getting our feet wet before we really dive in.”

When he looked up, Jemma could still see a glimmer of disappointment behind his eyes, but he nodded just the same. “Yeah, maybe.”

Giving him a wide smile, she placed her device down next to her and straightened up, seeing a waiter approaching with their meals a few meters away. It was all part of the System – through their personal profiles, their dinner choices were already logged into the restaurant’s queue so that partners could maximize their time in getting to know one another. They even provided her favorite wine; although, Jemma tried to keep her glass away from her as she wanted to stay clear-headed throughout the entire night. When the waiter placed their dishes in front of them, Jemma eagerly unrolled her utensils from her napkin, but stopped short when she noticed Fitz watching her quite intensely.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

With a quick shake of his head, he seemed to come out of his trance and reached for his own utensils. “No, it’s nothing. Sorry. I…”

Jemma raised her eyebrows, but kept her expression soft, giving him an encouraging smile.

Before continuing, he looked down at his plate. “I just didn’t know what to expect from my first match, and you’re…” He cleared his throat and shrugged, his face brightening as he met her eyes again. “You’re really nice.”

Jemma pulled in her lips to contain her smile, warmth blooming inside her chest. “Thank you. I think you’re really nice, too.”

She held his gaze for a moment longer, but she couldn’t quite decipher his expression, settling on a mix of curiosity and relief. Whatever it was, Jemma was more than intrigued to discover everything she could about this man even if they were only granted a few short hours together.

After eating quietly for a few moments, each of them stealing glances and subtle smiles across the table, Fitz put down his fork and cleared his throat. “So, what do you do in your free time?”

Jemma's ears perked up at his question. “I do research.”

Fitz raised an eyebrow as he wiped his hand off with his napkin. “Research? Is that allowed?”

“Sort of,” she said, her mouth twisting into a smile as she tilted her head. “I mean, I like to go to the pond and explore, take notes, that kind of thing. There’s not much to do here, as you know, in terms of any actual experimentation or work.”

“Right. They need you focused on finding your best mate.”

“Exactly. But I do like to read – mostly sciences, but a little bit of everything.”

“That’s really cool.”

Jemma leaned forward in her seat and rested her chin on her palm, her eyes glowing with curiosity. “What about you?”  

“Hmm… I don’t do that much, honestly. I read as well.”

“About?”

“Engineering, mechanics, whatever’s available, really. I also like to draw.”

“Oh, that’s interesting.”

“Just designs and ideas I’ve got swirling around in my head. I don’t know where they come from, and I can’t really do much with them, but it passes the time for now.” As he spoke, he waved his hand around his head, and Jemma could sense his passion behind his words. And even as he spoke simply about his interests, she could see the complexity of his mind, a trait she liked to believe they had in common.

“I bet you’re really clever, aren’t you? Maybe you’ve already cracked how the whole System works.”

At her comment, he chuckled. “I wish. They keep that information under lock and key, I reckon. But I think that’s the point. You have to trust—”

“Trust the System,” she finished for him. Not meaning to interrupt, she looked briefly down at her plate, but she could feel his eyes on her, so she looked up to find him beaming.

When her mouth curved into an innocent smile, he shrugged. “I mean, I want to trust it, for sure. But I have to admit, it’s still a bit weird to put the fate of your entire future in the hands of a program.”

“Well, I think it’s fascinating. We grow and change over time and through each relationship. And after each one, everything we’ve learned and experienced is accounted for when the System selects the next partner. It’s quite revolutionary if you think about it – how we as people are evaluated in order to find the very person we’re most suitable to spend the rest of our lives with in the real world. And with its success rate, I can’t wait to see where the System takes me.”

When she finished her thought, he didn’t respond, but ran his tongue along his bottom lip. She knew she was passionate about her beliefs, so she hoped she wasn’t being too forward with her sentiments about the System. But her slight worries quickly vanished as she saw the wonder behind his eyes, which sent a thrill through her stomach for the second time that evening.

“You have remarkable faith, Jemma,” he finally said.

A faint blush spread across her cheeks, so she looked down at her lap and picked up her device. “I do wish I knew exactly how it collects the data, and what sort of data. Is it simply how well we get on in conversations, or what we share in hobbies? Or is it more than that – like how we’re emotionally compatible, or even sexually compatible?”

“I’m sure it considers,” he paused to clear his throat, reaching for his wine glass, “ _every_ aspect of the relationship.”

“Right,” she agreed through a giggle.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she assured him. “You’re just sweet. And from the evidence I’ve already gathered on my own, I would say the System is definitely on the right track.”

Fitz looked at her in silence, half stunned by her words, so Jemma resumed eating her dinner, hoping her comment would help him relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. Just like Fitz, she didn’t know what to expect of the System’s first relationship, but to say she was pleased with the result was a significant understatement.

Following their meal, their Coaches instructed them to depart for their shared living quarters for the rest of their time together before it eventually expired the next morning. The small golf cart-like vehicle that took them on their way allowed the pair to take in the scenery of the System world for the first time, never before seeing what was beyond the Hub, the large structure that housed the System’s recreational facilities, and their individual living quarters. The System world was a pleasant and quiet oasis, providing participants with an escape to embark on their journeys to find their life partners. Its vast landscapes and greenery were beautiful sights, even if they eventually intersected with the famous wall, the structure that separated those within the System and those who had successfully found their perfect matches.

“Look at it,” Jemma said softly. “I didn’t know the System world was so vast.” The path to their living quarters brought them right along the edge of a large pond, the moonlight reflecting off its surface. “It’s beautiful from here.”

“Yeah, it really is something,” Fitz agreed, his own eyes wandering in several directions as the self-driving vehicle continued on.  

“What do you think is beyond there?” Jemma asked, pointing toward the nearly invisible wall far off in the distance.

“I don’t know. I think that’s left for us to find out after we find our true matches.”

The vehicle eventually stopped outside a small isolated house, one of thousands situated around the System world where couples spent their allocated time. With only twelve hours to spend together, they wouldn’t necessarily need to settle in as other couples would that night, but the time to themselves was a treat compared to the crowded restaurant of the Hub.

Fitz took Jemma’s hand to help her out of the vehicle, and then led her to the front entrance where a censor instructed them to unlock the door. “Shall we?” he asked quietly.

Jemma nodded, a soft smile filling her face. Placing her hand firmly on the holographic censor, the system confirmed her identity and unlocked the door with a soft _whoosh_.

The small one bedroom living space was just as Jemma had suspected – quiet and pleasant like the rest of the System world – but with a more intimate atmosphere that caused a fit of nerves to stir in her stomach. The dimmed lighting and warm color palette of the furnishings helped elevate the mood of the inviting space. She figured what most couples engaged in once arriving at their shared living quarters, and now she understood why.

Fitz was quiet when he trailed inside behind her, taking in the décor with a silent nod. “It’s nice,” he finally said after getting a full look at the living space.

“Yeah, it’s comfortable.” She dared a glance in his direction and raised an eyebrow. “Romantic even.”

Trailing her hand across the edge of the sofa, Jemma let the skirt of her dress sway a bit as she moved towards the other room of the house. It was similarly lit as the living space, but featured more luxurious furnishings, as well as the most obvious feature – the large mattress taking up a majority of the room. Jemma wrapped her arms around herself as she took in the sight, and heard Fitz’s heels tapping on the hardwood before he turned the corner into the room. Turning her head, she watched him lean against the doorframe as his eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape.

“That’s…”

“The bed.”

“Yep,” he said softly, his hands tucked deep into his pockets.  

“It looks cozy,” she offered, hoping to ease the awkward silence that filled the room. She moved toward the wall on the right and pulled back the floor to ceiling sliding door. “And there’s an en suite.”

Fitz nodded, pulling his hands from his pockets to place on his hips. “Oh, that’s good.”

When he didn’t say anything more, Jemma signaled behind her. “I’m just going to use the loo.”

“Right, okay. I’ll be over here, um, doing….” He trailed off as he turned around himself, gesturing vaguely towards the living area.

“Okay,” she replied through a slight giggle.

Once he was out of sight, she pulled the sliding door securely shut behind her. She then raced over and sat down on the toilet’s lid before pulling out her device from her pocket.

“Coach?” she whispered urgently.

“ _Yes, Jemma?”_

“What are we meant to do?”

“ _Query too broad. Please narrow_.”

Jemma huffed through her frustration. “I mean, are we just supposed to… go at it?”

“ _Define ‘go at it_.’”

“Oh, bloody hell.” She let her head fall into her hands, her previous anxiety suddenly skyrocketing. “I mean, are we—are we supposed to have sex? Is that what’s supposed to happen since we only have a couple of hours? Is that what people normally do in these situations?”

“ _Participants are not required to take any specific action.”_

“So, we don’t have to? I mean, it’s up to us if we choose to or not?”

“ _It’s up to you_.”

“Okay, good,” she said, sighing in deep relief. “That’s… that’s good.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t _want_ to explore that part of her relationship with Fitz. She already felt a strong connection with him after a few short hours, and she was certainly physically attracted to him. But there was something about the night that left her wanting to keep it just the way it was – peaceful and simple. His caring nature and fascinating mind already left her wanting to know more about him, but without any experience with previous partners exploring that side of a relationship, she didn’t want to ruin the night in case her nerves got the better of her.

Satisfied with her advice from her Coach, she left the quiet of the en suite to carry on with the rest of the evening.

When she returned to the living space, Fitz was settled onto the sofa staring rather intently at a ceramic bowl on the coffee table. He met her eyes when she turned the corner.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, nodding immediately.

For a moment, she just stood before him, absentmindedly toying with the silver bracelet around her wrist as she waited for him to say something more.

“I can sleep here,” he finally said, gesturing at the sofa.

“That’s sweet of you, but I’m sure—”

“If you’d be more comfortable.”

“The bed’s plenty big for the both of us.”

At her words, his mouth hung open for a few seconds before he swallowed hard. “Are you sure?”

She nodded.

“Okay.”

As Jemma suspected, the bed was large enough for both of them to comfortably lie next to each other without feeling pressured to engage in anything they weren’t ready for. Since their conversation at dinner, and the clear nervous energy between the two of them, Jemma was content to keep the night fairly uneventful. From her side of the bed, Jemma assumed Fitz was fine with keeping things PG, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to test the waters just a hint. Feeling a bit daring, she turned on her side and shifted her weight until she was lying more in the center of the mattress, propping her elbow up on her pillow. Fitz glanced in her direction, and Jemma could just make out the slight curve of his lip despite the shadow from the ceiling fan masking his features.

“What are you thinking about?” Jemma whispered, her free hand tracing circles on the sheets in the space between them.

He let out a slow breath and closed his eyes. “What people did before the System. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to have to go through all that relationship drama just to find the right partner. And imagine having to actually break up with someone.”

“Ugh, that sounds awful.”

“Exactly.” He turned on his side to mirror her position on the mattress, keeping his hand close to his chest.

The urge to reach over and intertwine their fingers was near inescapable, but Jemma fought against it. “When you break it off,” she continued, “how are you supposed to know if you’re making the right decision? You may decide to stick it out in a horrendous relationship, hoping for it to get better, but for all you know, there could be a better person out there for you that you’ve never even met.”

“At least this way you know when it’s meant to end.”

“Right. No hard feelings, it just…ends. And that’s that.” The mention of endings caused the image of the countdown clock ticking away on her device to enter her mind, an unfortunate but certain reminder that the two of them would meet their end the very next morning. Pushing those feelings aside, she shifted her thoughts to something more hopeful. “What are you wishing for?” she asked. “In your perfect match? What do you think she’ll be like?”

He sighed deeply and lowered his gaze. “I don’t know,” he said. “I never really thought about it because I figured the System would do that for me, you know? Figure out what I want and find that in a single person.”

“Yeah, I understand.”

“But if I had to choose, I would hope she’s kind. And funny.”

She hummed in understanding.

“And likes me for me.”

“That’s it?” she asked, her lip curling into a grin.

He shrugged, meeting her eyes again. “Yeah, that’s about it.”

“Well, no matter how many matches it takes, I’m sure you’ll find her. And besides, everything…”

“Happens for a reason,” they finished in sync.   

Chuckling lightly, Jemma continued. “I guess you can tell I’ve been talking to Coach too much. But she is an excellent listener.” Suddenly feeling a bit tired from their evening, she let her eyes slip shut.

Through the darkness, she listened to him exhaling slowly.  

“You’re a good listener,” he said softly.

A warmth spread through her chest, and when she opened her eyes, she found him beaming at her. “So are you,” she told him earnestly.  

His lip curved upwards as he shifted slightly closer to her. “What about you?” he asked. “What are you wishing for in your match?”

“I hope he’s nice. That’s all I really want.”

He placed his hand in the space between them, and Jemma couldn’t fight the urge any longer. Reaching across the mattress, she took his hand and slowly intertwined their fingers. He exhaled slowly, seeming to sink further into his pillow.

“I hope we find them,” she said quietly.

“You will,” he assured her. “I know you will.”

Jemma sighed, hoping he was right.

Since the start of her journey, Jemma wholeheartedly trusted the System. In a matter of hours, she’d found someone that was easy to talk to, interested in her hobbies, and generally just a sweet and caring person. And Fitz seemed to enjoy her company just the same, their connection nearly magnetic in how they fit together so well. With her first match defying all her expectations, she almost couldn’t imagine how anyone could be more compatible than the person lying right next to her. Of course, she knew it was all part of the System’s way of matching her with the right partner, and with Fitz being such a splendid first, she could only hope that her future matches would be just as extraordinary. And eventually, her ultimate match would live up to be just the sort of person she dreamed about since the start.

But as her eyes grew heavy and the soft sweeping motion of his thumb against her skin lulled her into a deep slumber, something nagged at her in the back of her mind, telling her that she had already found him. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Jemma couldn’t remember who made the first move in the middle of the night – move being a strong word – but regardless of who it was, waking up with her head resting on Fitz’s chest instead of on her pillow was a surprising and certainly pleasant turn of events. After taking his hand in the darkness of the room, they talked for another few hours as they moved in and out of consciousness, sharing details about each other they knew wouldn’t truly matter after their time together expired: their favorite foods, how they took their tea, their preferences for spending a rainy day. But even if she’d never get to spend a rainy day with Fitz, there was something about learning these details that made Jemma hope that whatever happened after they parted ways, they could look back every now and then on the short but sweet hours they spent together with great fondness.

The soft even breath tickling her forehead caused her stomach to backflip, and unable to resist the urge to look into his astounding blue eyes, she lifted her head from his chest. “Morning,” she whispered.

His eyes fluttered open and he smiled down at her for a half second, looking still dazed from sleeping so soundly, but then his senses must have kicked in as he quickly began to untangle himself from her on the mattress. “Sorry,” he mumbled in response, moving his arm quickly from around her shoulders so she could lie back down on her side of the bed.

“It’s fine,” she assured him, burying her head in her pillow. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“I hate to ask, but… how much time left?”

Stretching his arms above his head, he let out a noise of frustration before dropping them back down. “A little less than an hour, I think.”

“Not very long,” she said through a sigh.

“Nope.”

“It’s a pity. I like talking to you. And you make quite the comfortable pillow.” He chuckled in response, and Jemma could see a subtle flush spreading through his cheeks. “It is though,” she told him, her tone more serious.  

He shrugged. “But that’s how this whole thing works, I guess.”

“Yeah,” she mumbled, turning over to stare at the ceiling. “You’re right.”

Their movements were sluggish as they straightened their clothes to prepare for the arrival of their departure vehicles. Beyond the System’s calculated method in pairing individuals together for relationships, its method in how couples were to end their relationships was just as systematic. A few minutes before their expiry date, small vehicles similar to the one used to transport them to their living quarters arrived and parked at separate ends of the property, where they would eventually drive the two of them in different directions back towards the common living area of the System world. The abrupt separation of the two parties left little room for more than a simple goodbye, so Jemma dreaded the moment as it quickly approached her that morning. But as she had told herself the night before, she knew this was the System’s way of finding her the perfect match, so it could truly only get better with each new partner.

Naturally, she couldn’t help herself stealing glances at Fitz every moment she could, hoping to at least hold on to the memory of him, something she hoped would never escape her mind no matter how many future relationships she embarked upon. And when the time did truly run out, Jemma felt a sudden sadness overcome her as she looked over his shoulder to see his departure vehicle idling silently a few meters away. But she didn’t want to end their last moment on a somber note, so she kept her eyes on him, willing herself to simply enjoy the last few seconds of their relationship together.

She only glanced down at her device once it emitted a short chirp, signaling that the time had officially run out. At the sight of the end screen, Jemma sighed. “I guess that’s it, then.”

“Seems that way,” Fitz said in return, placing his own device in his pocket.

Jemma curled her hair behind her ear. “Well, I’m happy you were my first. Even if, technically, you didn’t get any.”

Stifling a chuckle, Fitz shook his head. “It’s fine. I had a great time.”

“Me too.” Even through their pleasant goodbye, Jemma felt her face falling slightly at the thought of leaving Fitz’s side. She didn’t know what was customary for couples who only spent a few hours with each other, but after a night like theirs, Jemma couldn’t bring herself to simply walk away. He seemed to sense her need, so before she knew it, he pulled her into a tight embrace, he arms securely wrapping around her frame as she sunk into his chest.

“Good luck,” she said, her voice muffled in his shoulder.

“You too.”

After a few seconds of silently holding each other, they finally parted, knowing their devices would probably alert them any moment now with strict orders to go their separate ways. Taking his hand one last time, Jemma slowly backed away towards her vehicle, letting their fingers cling to each other until the very last moment before her hand finally fell to her side. The loss of contact sent a sudden ache through her heart, and as she turned on her heel and strolled causally towards her vehicle, she hoped to let the moment last as long as possible. Of course, she only took a few steps before she felt the urge to glance over her shoulder one last time, and when she gave in, she found him doing the same.

Through mirrored smiles, they gave each other a final nod, and then they were off to whatever the System had in store for them.

Returning to her single bunk was a quiet affair, her thoughts never shifting from Fitz and his last look before his departure. The System didn’t inform its participants about how much time would pass between matches, so once Jemma was out of her date clothes and changed into something more comfortable, she set out for a relaxing day filled with her favorite activities, hoping to let her mind wander elsewhere as she accepted her time now spent without such a pleasant companion. She was nearly settled onto her blanket by the pond, the sun streaming down on her through the System’s picturesque weather, before she heard the familiar chirp from her device.

Moving her sunglasses on top of her head, she pulled her device out of her day bag. “Another one already?”

“ _Yes,”_ her Coach informed her in its calm but firm tone _. “You will meet at the Hub restaurant at 7:30 pm_.”

Jemma let out a huff and nodded intently. “Alright, then.”

Arriving at the restaurant in a new dress and modest heels, she found her same booth and stared impatiently at her wine glass as she waited for the arrival of her next match. With one relationship down, Jemma felt slightly more confident in navigating the process, but she was still nervous about how this new match would compare to Fitz. She hoped the person wasn’t too different in terms of personality, as she got on so well with Fitz that she couldn’t imagine someone better suited for her in that area. And while she didn’t necessarily have any preconceived ideas about her match’s appearance, she still hoped whoever the person was, they could keep themselves somewhat put together. And if she was lucky, the person would fill out a sports coat in just the same way as her first match.

Around five minutes before her date was said to arrive, Jemma glanced around the restaurant just as she had done her first night and was shocked to see a man already frantically scanning the restaurant for what she assumed was her booth. Once he caught sight of her, a ridiculous grin spread across his face, and he seemed to want nothing more than to cross the restaurant in two seconds flat and sweep her off her feet. But something must have kept his eagerness in check, as he suddenly glanced down at his device before turning his brisk walk into a casual stroll. As Jemma took in the eager fellow, she first noticed how he was much taller than Fitz and a bit lankier, as he seemed to not quite fill out his suit. Jemma didn’t mind this fact, but still. Looking at him with a curious eye, there was something odd about his appearance she couldn’t place.

When he finally arrived at her booth, his grin of perfectly white teeth was blinding, but he remained silent, clearly waiting for her to make the first introduction.

“Hello,” she said politely as she rose from her chair. “I’m Jemma.”

“Jemma? Nice to meet you.” He took her hand and gave it a weak shake.

Giving him a warm smile, Jemma waited an agonizing few seconds before he finally continued.

“Oh, right! I’m Milton,” he said with a chuckle.

“Pleasure to meet you, Milton. Should we…?” she said, gesturing for them to sit.

“Right, absolutely.”

“Am I your first match?” she asked as she smoothed out her skirt.

“Fifth, actually. Already got the hang of it, I think.”

“ _Oh_. Alright.” She didn’t want to make any quick assumptions, but from his introduction alone, having _the hang of it_ wouldn’t be her first thought in describing his way with women.

As she took her seat, she met her partner’s eyes. “Should we check the expiry date?”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

Following the same routine, they each pulled out their devices, held them close to each other across the table, and tapped the screens to reveal their allotted time together.

At the sight of the expiry date, Jemma swallowed hard, her eyes never leaving her device. “Nine months,” she uttered almost painfully. “Wow, that’s…” she stopped short to clear her throat, “okay.”

“That’s amazing.” Milton was too busy staring at his own device to even notice Jemma’s reaction. “That is amazing, right?”

“Yes,” she quickly agreed, pulling out her most convincing smile. “That… that is a _mazing_.”

“I’ve never had one that’s lasted that long.”

“A relationship?”

“Right, they’re usually no more than a couple months. So, this is exciting.”

Jemma nodded, her smile already causing her cheeks to ache. Unlike on her first date, the glass of wine in front of her appeared much more appealing. Reaching for it urgently, she lifted her glass and raised her eyebrows at her date. “Cheers?”

“Cheers,” he agreed, lifting his own glass and clinking them together.

“To…nine months together.”

“To nine months.”

Once she had downed nearly half her glass, she turned her attention to her meal before realizing she would have to initiate the next bit of conversation. “So, what’s your story, Milton?” she asked between bites.

“My story?”

“You know, your hobbies, that kind of thing.”

“Oh, right. Well, I like to play tennis at the fitness center.”

Jemma nodded in encouragement, but then he returned his attention back to his meal. After an extended period of silence, she realized he didn’t have anything more to add, so she looked back down at her plate. “Ah. That’s… cool.”

“That’s how I spend a majority of my time,” he explained.

“Well, what’s your favorite place to visit in the System?” she asked.

“Hmm. I like the Hub, I think.”

“Just in general?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Jemma pulled in her lips. The Hub, while a lively place for the System’s community, occupied nearly half of the entire System world and was the equivalent of an oversized shopping mall. Narrowing down his interests, she realized, was going to be much more difficult than she thought. “Right,” she said under her breath.   

He picked his utensils back up to continue eating, but then stopped short with a quick shake of his head. “Oh, and what about you?”

Jemma smiled warmly. “Well, I like to read, spend time outdoors, explore the grounds. The weather’s always so pleasant during the day. Most days I spend many hours by the pond.”

“Wow, you certainly know how to spend the time. I can’t imagine juggling so many activities.”

Jemma chuckled lightly. “Well, it’s not _really_ that many, plus once they start pairing you with your matches, I suspect they want you to spend time participating in activities both parties enjoy. Do you like the outdoors?”

“I can, yeah. I can spend time outdoors.”

“Alright. Well, what about reading? What sort of books do you read?”

“Uh, I can’t say I’ve read that much, but I’m sure I’ll like whatever you’re reading.”

“Sure,” she said through a nod, forcing a smile and trying not to let her eyes completely glaze over.

The rest of the evening’s conversation proved to be more work than Jemma had anticipated. Even though Milton seemed to enjoy his time, Jemma tended to carry the bulk of the conversation, all the while trying to find something that interested him enough to speak on more than a single sentence. She didn’t necessarily mind doing most of the talking, as she enjoyed discussing her interests in great detail. And he was an excellent listener, his eyes never leaving hers as he took in her words intently. But near the end of their meal, despite her efforts to get him to open up, Jemma realized she knew little to nothing about the man sitting across from her.

When the time came to depart the restaurant in route to their new living quarters, Jemma found herself using the travel time to think about her next move. She knew she shouldn’t be quick to judge, especially after having such a successful first relationship with Fitz despite its short duration. And for all she knew, maybe Milton simply struggled with small talk and needed more time to open up on a personal level. It wasn’t uncommon for couples not to feel connected after a simple dinner date, so maybe some time outside the pressure of the Hub’s restaurant would ease some of his nerves.

The setup of the small house was nearly identical to the one she shared with Fitz save for a few décor details here and there. Jemma walked with confidence into the space, letting Milton trail behind her. When they settled into the living space, she turned towards her partner and raised her eyebrows. “So…”

“So…” he repeated, mimicking her tone, the same bright smile he wore through dinner still plastered across his face.

Jemma swallowed and then gestured over her shoulder. “I’m going to use the loo.”

Before giving him a chance to respond, she turned and strode into the bedroom, coming to a halt at the double vanity sinks inside the en suite. Through a slow exhale, she leaned heavily against the marble countertop, letting her chin sink to her chest. The few moments of isolation helped settle her racing thoughts, but with little idea how to continue the evening, Jemma pulled her device out from her pocket and set it down next to the sink. “Coach,” she nearly pleaded, “he’s not doing anything. What should I do?”

“ _You next action is up to you. But data does show that physical activity can help in building a connection with a partner_.”

“So, I should try… making out with him?”

“ _It is your decision_.”

Swallowing hard, she nodded and took in a calming breath. With nine months ahead of them, Jemma didn’t see the point in wasting time leading up to the intimate part of their relationship. Maybe it was exactly what they needed. _Better than talking_ , she thought to herself.

When she returned to the living space, Milton was still standing by the sofa, having not moved an inch since she left the room. At the sight of him, Jemma took in a final deep breath and swiped to unlock her device.

“I’m going to consent to the basics, so whenever you feel ready—"

“Okay, me too.” With little hesitation, he pulled his own device out of his pocket and completed the same motions.

“Oh,” Jemma muttered, her eyes widening. She wasn’t expecting such a response, but nevertheless, she welcomed his openness. “Alright, then.”

With a slight shake of her head, she powered forward, pulled his lips against hers, and then guided them towards the bedroom, hoping maybe their lack of conversational chemistry would be proven forgetful if they could connect on a physical level.

 

~

 

As her partner rolled towards his side of the mattress, Jemma couldn’t help but stare hopelessly at the ceiling as her eyes mindlessly followed the path of the ceiling fan, her underwhelmed feelings consuming her as she listened to Milton catch his breath. It wasn’t that it was necessarily bad, but judging from the short minutes that had encompassed her first sexual encounter, she truly wondered if sex wasn’t what it was hyped up to be. For what is was worth, she didn’t have anything to compare the encounter with to honestly judge the act, but still. Even after keeping her expectations for her first time so low, they were nearly buried beneath the Earth’s surface, she didn’t anticipate feeling this empty after such a monumental moment in her newly adult life.

She didn’t completely blame herself or her partner, though. Even though he was more experienced, he didn’t know her that well, and her eagerness to get the act over with may have hindered her in keeping her focus. But whatever seemed to cause their clear lack of connection, Milton didn’t seem to notice in the slightest.

“You were great,” he said, nudging her elbow under the sheet. “Are you okay?”

“Mm-hmm, I’m good.” She pressed her lips together, keeping her gaze on the ceiling. “It was good,” she added.

“Brilliant.”

Knowing he couldn’t see her in the darkness of the room, she couldn’t keep her face from falling, finally letting go of the cheerful façade she’d kept up all evening. She didn’t know what it was about the two of them that the System deemed appropriate to match them together. But there was one thing she knew for certain - it was going to be a tremendously long nine months.

 

 

 

 

 

\-----

 

 

 

_Seven months later_

 

 

Jemma was already onto her second glass of champagne before the happy couple even arrived at the pairing day celebration, but she didn’t see herself slowing down anytime soon. As much as she was looking forward to the celebration, which was a chance to witness the happiness that was promised after enrolling in the System, she was trying her hardest not to let her own relationship ruin her mood. It wasn’t that she didn’t get along with Milton. On the contrary, Jemma couldn’t remember engaging in a single disagreement, let alone a full-scale argument. And it wasn’t that she was looking for conflict within a relationship. But the man was so passive that Jemma spent more time trying to push his buttons than actually engaging in quality time with him. Whether it be discussions of his past relationships, politics, or gender roles, Jemma couldn’t muster a single negative response out of him, which drove her, almost literally, up the wall.

Beyond her frustration in him intellectually, physically, he wasn’t much to boast about either. The sex, while eye opening in the beginning due to her inexperience, shifted into more of a mind-numbing routine, with Jemma becoming more and more absent from the intimate experience as the months slowly trekked on. Luckily, she was much more attuned to her own body than her partner, so she was able to take care of her needs on her own time. But she assumed she could only fake so many orgasms before he grew suspicious.

Even though he wasn’t the most attentive partner under the sheets, he certainly performed his duties as devoted boyfriend when it came to public events, always staying at her side and only leaving to bring her additional refreshments. It could be worse, Jemma thought to herself on numerous occasions. She could be stuck with someone who didn’t care at all how she felt or for her wellbeing, so at least he had that going for him. Still, as the joyous music filled the outdoor venue for the pairing day celebration, and the crowd erupted into applause as the couple walked onto the small stage for their speeches, Jemma thanked the heavens that her one true match was still out there waiting for her.

“Thank you all for coming!” the dark-haired girl exclaimed from the stage, her arm wrapped securely around her partner’s hip. “It has been such a journey to get here today, and I cannot tell you how happy I am to have finally found my ultimate match in Trip.”

The crowd cooed as she looked up to meet her partner’s eyes, his own gazing down at her in an adoring fashion.

“And I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t been matched with Daisy,” he added before giving the crowd a wide smile.

“Seriously, it felt like I was never going to find my match,” Daisy continued on, “but trust us when we say that the System works. Every relationship that you experience is so crucial in finding your true match. And when everything falls into place and you hear your Coach tell you that you’ve been assigned a pairing day,” she paused to let out a dramatic sigh, “it feels like your life has finally begun.”

The crowd continued with its cheers and applause while Jemma tapped the side of her champagne flute with mock enthusiasm.

“Now, we know this is a day of celebration for our pairing, but we want to propose a toast to you all.” Off stage, a man quickly produced champagne for the pair, and then Trip cleared his throat to continue. “May your Coaches guide you. May this entire experience be worthwhile. And may the System find you your perfect match. To the System!”

“To the System!” the crowd echoed.

Without joining in with the chant, Jemma gulped down her champagne, and then sighed heavily. “Well, they seem happy,” she muttered to her partner.  

“Yeah, I think so, too,” Milton agreed as he continued to stare at Daisy and Trip, who were now making out in such a fashion that Jemma had to shift her gaze to the floor, her eyes widening at the sight.

“I’m going to go mingle for a bit,” she told her partner before squeezing his shoulder.

“Oh, okay. I’ll just…”

“You can stay here,” she said firmly. “Enjoy yourself. I’ll be back in a few.”

Turning towards the bar, Jemma pulled herself out of her heels and hooked the sling-back straps onto her finger, welcoming the much-needed comfort of her bare feet against the soft grass. As the System required, Jemma spent nearly every waking moment with Milton, so she took full advantage of any time she could find to herself with no real intention of mingling with the rest of the pairing day celebration guests. It wasn’t that she couldn’t find a suitable companion to have a conversation with, but ever since her first date with Fitz, nothing came close to piquing her interests quite like the conversations they shared during their night together.

Since beginning her new relationship with Milton, she tried not to think of Fitz often, knowing she should focus her energy on growing in her current relationship if she wanted to make progress in finding her true match. But more and more, she found herself awake in the wee hours of the morning thinking about where he was, what he was doing, and most importantly, if he was happy. That’s all she truly wanted – for the System to provide for him the happiness that it promised. Maybe after their first date, the System found another person similar to her own personality, but with more engineering experience. Or maybe it found him someone a bit taller with a more outgoing personality, someone that would challenge him and pull him out of his comfort zone. Or maybe he was just as miserable as she.

Whatever the case, she knew any additional drinks she consumed that evening would only heighten these thoughts, but that didn’t stop her from heading in the direction of the bar. But just as she was about to find herself a nice cozy corner to herself so she could drink and people-watch for the rest of the night, a figure in the corner of her eye pulled her attention away from her previous intent.  

Because there he was in a corner, clear as day and handsome as ever.

Jemma sucked in a quick breath, not anticipating the rush of buried feelings that now washed over her at the mere sight of him.

His appearance was nearly identical to how he looked during their short night together, but instead of his usual pleasant smile and soft expression, he seemed more perturbed than Jemma had ever seen him before. Unlike the rest of the celebration guests who were engaged in lively conversation, he leaned against a post while his inattentive match talked another woman’s ear off. Occasionally, he would nod and smile whenever he was pulled into the conversation, but for the rest of the time, he simply stared into his near empty glass looking like he’d rather be anywhere but taking part in the pairing day festivities.

When he excused himself to trail over to the bar, Jemma took advantage of the opportunity and pushed past a few guests to surprise him, knowing he was probably in need of seeing a familiar face. She didn’t really take into account her own excitement, so she almost collided with him when she reached his side by the bar, but managed to straighten up before he could notice.

“Hi,” she said cheerfully, unable to mask her bright smile at seeing him again.

When he turned, his eyes lit up instantly, the blues of his eyes bright against the similar shade of his button down. “Oh, wow. _Hi_.”

At once, he pulled her into an embrace, his movement a pleasant surprise on Jemma’s part. After not seeing him for so long, she couldn’t resist wrapping her arms around his neck and prolonging the hug for as long as what she considered was appropriate considering their history together. When she pulled back, she let her hand rest at the back of his neck while she took a good look at him. In the short time since he’d moved towards the bar, his expression was already free of any tension from before, which made Jemma immensely happy.

“How are you?” he asked.

“I’m well,” she said through a soft chuckle. It wasn’t necessarily a lie. Once she laid eyes on him a few moments ago, her mood soared to a level she hadn’t experienced in many months. “How are you?”

Pulling his lip to the side, he half nodded. “I’m doing okay. You know, along for the ride, learning about true companionship. But it’s good to see you.”

“Yeah, same. I wasn’t sure if I would. You know, once you match with someone, you might never see them again.”

“And yet here we are.”

“Here we are,” she agreed.

A sudden cheer erupted from a small gathering of guests which brought Jemma and Fitz’s attention towards the stage where Daisy and Trip were drinking champagne through linked arms. A few guests whistled as they lowered their flutes and Trip pulled his ultimate match in for a tender kiss.  

“They are something, aren’t they?” Fitz said through a sigh.

“That’s the dream, isn’t it? To find that one person and it all makes sense. I’m happy they found each other.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Turning her attention back to Fitz, she nudged his arm. “So, who are you with now?”

“Nicola. She’s, uh, she’s…” Trailing off, he snapped his fingers a few times, clearly attempting to find the right words.

“Not your cup of tea?” Jemma asked, biting her bottom lip to hide her smile. “It’s written all over your face.”

Fitz lowered his chin to his chest as he sighed. “I don’t think she possesses a humorous bone in her body, unfortunately. Or any other human emotion, for that matter.”

“Ah, that sounds awful.” She was about to reach forward to rest her hand on his shoulder for comfort, but at the last second, noticing the dreadful woman a few meters away eyeing them rather intensely, thought against it. “How much longer?”

Fitz pulled in his lips. “Uh...”

“Sorry,” Jemma said instantly, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “That’s probably a personal question.”

“No, no, it’s fine. A few more months. So still quite a bit of time.”

Jemma nodded, busying herself by playing with the edge of her skirt to keep her gaze from accidently shifting over his shoulder. She knew it wasn’t her place, but if anyone was keeping Fitz from finding happiness, she instantly felt the urge to give them a piece of her mind.

“What about you?” he asked. “What’s it like with your…”

Turning her head, she found her partner amongst a small group of men, but noticed him smiling more than actually contributing anything to the conversation. She turned back to Fitz and signaled over her shoulder with her thumb. “Milton. He is very agreeable. Almost too agreeable, actually. You know, I don’t really know that much about him, to be honest, because he just agrees with everything I say.” She placed her hands on her hips at the sudden realization. “I find nature fascinating, he finds nature fascinating. I enjoy reading after intercourse, he enjoys—”

“Okay, right. Got it.” He took a large swallow of his drink before continuing. “Sounds like you’ve got yourself quite the keeper. But is it just me or is his head too big for his body?”

“Fitz! Be nice,” she whispered intensely before swatting him lightly in his side. But upon further inspection of her partner from across the room, she truly couldn’t deny the fact that his rather peculiar shaped head was what struck her as odd that first night when she met him. “Okay, you… might have a point. I think I need another drink.”

“Come on, let’s sit,” he said, pulling on her forearm.

With a final glance in Nicola’s direction, finding the woman absorbed in her own conversation, Jemma smiled as she followed Fitz to a more intimate corner of the venue.

When he returned with her gin and tonic, he pulled up his chair close to Jemma’s, propping his chin under his hand. “It really is good to see you,” he said, leaning in closer so he could keep his voice low. “I get kind of lost at things like this.”

Jemma nodded after a sip of her drink. “I feel the same way. I mean, I know this is supposed to be a celebration, but it’s a bit exhausting, honestly.”  

“Have you lost your faith in the System already?”

“No, not necessarily. But I don’t know, Fitz. I’m just trying to figure out what sort of data the System is collecting at this point. Because right now, it seems like all it could be learning about me is that I get on okay with a guy if he basically doesn’t contribute anything to the relationship.” She paused for a moment as her eyes focused on the small details about Fitz she never noticed before: the more pronounced scruff along his jaw, the slightly darker circles under his eyes. Before she got too distracted, she continued. “I wonder what it gathered from our relationship.”

“It wasn’t much to go on – it being so short.”

“I disagree. Sure, we only had twelve hours together, but think of how we felt at the end of it. We had a wonderful dinner conversation, and even though we spent of lot of that time sleeping, it felt comfortable, easy.”

He scoffed lightly. “You’re just being nice.”

“No, it’s true! Everything felt right. I don’t think there’s anything I would have changed about that night.”

_Maybe one thing_ , she thought. With every kiss she shared with Milton, she couldn’t stop but wonder what it would be like to share one with Fitz.

With her gaze lingering dangerously on his lips, she cleared her throat. “But we’ll see. Who knows who the next match will be.” As she finished her sentence, she noticed Fitz looking over her shoulder, so she wasn’t surprised to now see her partner at her side.

“Everything going okay?” Milton asked, his tone as cheerful as ever.

Jemma swallowed the last of her drink before turning to grip her partner’s shoulder. “Yes, everything’s fine. Fitz, this is Milton. Milton, this is Fitz. He was my first.”

Milton shook Fitz’s outstretched hand. “Ah, you never forget your first,” he said through a toothy grin before letting out a loud chuckle.

Jemma scrunched her nose as she joined in with a few nervous laughs, keeping a close eye on Fitz’s response. Luckily, he didn’t seem as embarrassed as she, but he was now focused on his glass.

Milton pointed toward the stage. “They’re about to leave, so do you think we should—”

“Yes, we should get going,” Jemma agreed.

Before she took Milton’s arm to join the crowd in following Daisy and Trip as they left the celebration, Jemma turned back to Fitz and squeezed his forearm. “It was so great seeing you again,” she said, keeping her voice low so only he could hear. “I hope things work out for you with your next match.”

With his eyes focused on where her fingers gripped his arm, he nodded. “You too.”

Jemma sighed, hoping the faint sadness that suddenly washed over her wasn’t visible on her face. She didn’t know if fate would work in their favor and they would cross paths again, so before she changed her mind, she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, lingering there a few seconds longer as she watched a soft smile appear on his face. Finally meeting her eyes, he straightened up, so she reluctantly returned to her partner’s side.

The stone path that led Daisy and Trip to their System departure vehicle was lined with paper lanterns and guests tossing small handfuls of confetti. With Milton on her arm, the man enthusiastically cheering on the happy couple as they drove off into the distance, Jemma dared a glance over her shoulder and found what she was hoping for: Fitz’s eyes locked on her, his own even brighter than before. She couldn’t quite decipher his expression, but even with the distance between them, Jemma had a feeling their thoughts were in sync. Getting paired together as each other’s first match was one thing, but seeing each other again by chance seemed like the universe knew there was something more between them than a simple connection. And as she gave him a final nod in farewell, she hoped it wouldn’t be the last time she laid her eyes on such an extraordinary match.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this is the chapter that earns the fic its M rating :D

  

_Two months later_

 

 

As Jemma stood on the front steps of what would in a few moments be her old living quarters, she willed herself to mask the relief she felt from her second relationship finally coming to a close. The last few months were near torture, an endless routine of days spent counting down the minutes before she could finally depart their small house and move on to what she hoped was a more fulfilling match. Milton never seemed to notice her displeasure in his agreeable manner, even though Jemma knew she was doing little to hide her true feelings. She stayed away from any sort of conversation beyond what was necessary to go about their domestic life and didn’t bother making suggestions for different leisure activities, knowing full well the time spent together would be just as dreadful even if they were out of doors. Much to Jemma’s relief, they stopped sleeping together once they reached their final month as a couple. It wasn’t a big spectacle – Jemma simply said she was too tired one evening, and that was that. But it still didn’t help the incessant boredom that was their relationship during every waking hour of every day. So, when the day came to pack up their belongings and wait for the clock to finally count down to zero, Jemma moved about with a slight spring in her step, occasionally looking out the window as she anxiously awaited the arrival of the vehicle that would help her depart the relationship forever.

When their devices resting in their palms displayed the final 30 second countdown, Jemma raced through a million different ways to say her final goodbye. When she parted ways with Fitz, it was such a pleasant experience that she didn’t have to think about what to say; she simply expressed her true feelings. But nearly every version of her goodbye for this relationship felt forced and scripted, so she settled on staying silent until the time ran out completely, hoping the words would come to her in the moment.

Once the clock approached the final ten seconds, Milton reached forward and patted her shoulder. “Well, it’s been fun.”

Jemma smiled without meeting his eyes, knowing full well she couldn’t agree with his statement and lying was never one of her specialties. With her eyes glued on her device, the final seconds seemed to drag on much longer than scientifically possible, but at last, the clock struck zero, and Jemma let out a quiet sigh. She looked up and gave Milton a single nod.

“Okay, bye,” she said quickly (and probably a bit too cheerfully than she was aiming for) before turning on her heel and striding towards her designated vehicle, the sudden breeze whipping her hair dramatically behind her as she relished in her much-awaited freedom. She didn’t dare look back, hoping he wasn’t too shocked by her abrupt departure, but she figured it was best for the two of them to move on as efficiently as possible.

Returning to the common living quarters brought her more joy than she anticipated, the solitude a welcome change after her nine months with her less than favorable companion. After getting changed and tying her hair into a knot on the top of her head, she filled her day bag with books and her journal, hoping to finally enjoy the System’s scenery for once after such a long time. Like most days, it was clear as ever, the System’s near perfect climate always a reminder that even the lowest moments could be brushed off if one simply stepped outside. But of course, the System didn’t allow for her to settle into her cherished freedom for very long because a few hours later, as she basked in the sunlight during her peaceful afternoon by the pond, the isolation doing wonders on her restless mind, her device lit up with a familiar chirp, signally her next match had been selected.

She let out an exaggerated groan before rolling onto her side and taking hold of the device, reading the same instructions she’d been given for her last two matches. Truly, she didn’t expect anything less, as the System was known for its punctual nature in pairing participants together. Still, after such a horrendous few months, her strong faith in the System was starting to waver. Pulling herself up, she stretched her arms above her head and gazed in the distance toward the Hub, where flashing lights and activity already signaled its early preparations for another night filled with new pairings.

She knew she was being silly to give up hope after only two matches. For all she knew, she would have to endure a dozen or so relationships before finding her ultimate match. So, with a deep sigh, she turned in the direction of her living quarters to get changed for the evening.

“Here we go again,” she muttered to herself.  

Arriving at the Hub’s restaurant at 7:30 pm on the dot in anticipation for her third relationship, Jemma prayed the System would grant her with anything but another partner like her last. Her routine with Milton for the last nine months was essentially the exact opposite of what she hoped for in her relationship with her ultimate match. And no matter how many times she told herself that every match would contribute to the System’s search in finding her ultimate match, a small part of her was starting to lose her patience.

But little did she know that the System was about to grant her a much different sort of routine.

When her next match arrived at her table, he was pleasant and funny with a sort of severe haircut she didn’t quite understand. But nevertheless, he was a charming fellow, and Jemma instantly felt open to enjoy whatever sort of relationship they embarked on together. Her previous negative feelings about the System swiftly fled her mind as she mentally tallied every sort of difference between this man and her previous match. But when the two of them simultaneously tapped their devices to discover their expiry date, Jemma was perplexed to learn she would only have 36 hours to spend with him. Granted, this was exactly what she was hoping for – a complete 180 from her previous dull and exhausting relationship – but the calculated end date didn’t seem like enough time to truly delve into a proper rich relationship she was hoping the System would provide for her.

Accepting her fate with a sigh, she resumed her evening with a reassurance in the back of her mind that this was all part of the program, and the more relationships she experienced, the better her chances were of finding her perfect match. But one can only feel so reassured for so long, because when her third relationship came to an end a day and a half later, her next match came with an identical expiry date.

And the next.

And the next.

And the next.

The dinners were enjoyable, if reasonably uneventful, and the nights spent in the designated living quarters were satisfactory to an extent, but nothing stood out in Jemma’s mind as enriching to her romantic experience. Occasionally, she grew somewhat attached to a stray match here and there, discovering shared hobbies or a mind she would love to explore in more detail. But for the most part, the sea of partners and personalities blended together to a point where Jemma couldn’t remember their faces or the sound of their voices mere hours after the relationships expired.

And that’s how it went for almost a dozen matches.

After the fifth fling, Jemma started to second guess her actions, suddenly blaming herself for her predicament. Reflecting back on every relationship once they expired, she couldn’t precisely narrow down what she was doing wrong, pondering whether she wasn’t being open enough in getting to know her partners, or maybe she was somehow holding back her true self. But whatever was causing her to continue down the same path over and over again left her with little hope in the System. Before, everything made sense: the process, the world, and the promised end result. 

But now, she couldn’t understand how her experiences were contributing anything worthwhile in the System’s search for her perfect match, and as she mindlessly navigated each new relationship, she wondered if the ride was even worth it. 

 

 

 

 

 

\-----

 

 

 

 

 

Jemma slumped into her booth, not bothering to ask any last-minute questions to her Coach as she anticipated a continuation of her cruel fate. She had just completed her eleventh 36-hour relationship, and to say she was completely numb to the entire System experience was an understatement.

Jemma’s usual uplifting demeanor had vanished, replaced by a hardened and sour mood that seemed to only grow more intense during the time between each new match. She used to enjoy her late-night conversations between matches with her Coach, always finding comfort in the artificial intelligence’s assurances that everything was going according to protocol and it was only a matter of time before Jemma met her true match. But as Jemma continued down her hopeless spiral of meaningless matches, she didn’t know what was worse – going through with another date that would ultimately end before it even began or leaving the System altogether. There was little information about what life was like beyond the System, as participants were encouraged to stick it out until they found their true matches. Her Coach threw around the word ‘banishment’ every now and again whenever Jemma felt at her lowest point, whatever that meant.

Fitz’s words from their night together were the only glimmer of hope she could hold onto – that maybe she would find someone nice, just as Fitz said she would. Luckily for her, that small bit of hope got her dressed and ready for the evening at the Hub restaurant, and before her eyes, her seemingly cursed fate quickly vanished. 

Because at 7:30 pm on yet another evening destined to result in a short fling, she was completely floored with relief when a familiar face turned up at the restaurant in search of her table.

Jemma stood from her chair immediately, unable to contain her unbounded excitement, and let out a soft chuckle once she finally met his eyes.

“Fitz?!” she exclaimed before quickly covering her mouth, some diners in close proximity clearly taken aback by the intensity of her voice.

When he looked at her from a few meters away, he shared in her stunned response, his expression glowing with delight at the sight of her. “Jemma.”

Letting go of any worrisome thoughts about onlookers intruding on their reunion, Jemma rushed forward to meet him halfway and wrapped her arms around his neck, her heart clenching in her chest as he pulled her in tight against him. They held each other for some time, basking in the familiar warmth of each other’s embrace, a feeling Jemma had deeply missed since running into him at the pairing day celebration months ago. He let out a deep sigh before pulling back to hold her at arm’s length.

“I didn’t know the System could—”

“Match us again, I know,” he finished for her.

“It’s amazing,” she said, smiling from ear to ear. She couldn’t help but laugh, the gruesome experience of her previous relationships seeming silly now if it eventually led her back to the person she wanted most. “I…I’m just so happy it’s you and not someone else.”

When they realized the number of couples staring in their direction, they found their seats behind the booth and shifted towards the center, sitting almost hip to hip.

“Is this right though?” Jemma asked. “Coach, are we at the right table?”

“ _You are at the correct table_.”

 “Well, there we go,” Fitz said happily. “I’m glad it’s you, too,” he told her before placing his device in front of him on the table.

Reading his next move, Jemma reached forward and clutched his wrist. “Wait, can we not check the expiry date?”

“Why?” he asked, his expression curious.  

“I’m so sick of it,” she explained, slouching further into the booth. “Ugh, Fitz, it’s been awful. Ever since Milton, I kept getting paired with so many partners, and each of them for just a few hours, so it was like fling after fling after fling.”

His eyes filled with sympathy as he touched her shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

“And I didn’t know what to do. It was almost an out of body experience, going through the same routine over and over again. A couple of them were lovely, don’t get me wrong, but it was exhausting trying to stay present when it kept going on and on.”

“And then you were stuck with knowing none of them would last long.”

“Exactly! See, the time thing - I don’t know if it’s going to my head or not, but knowing each relationship would only last for so long, I couldn’t really be there, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“I’m sorry, I’m rambling,” she said, waving her hand in front of her face. “I’m sure it was just as hard for you with Nicola.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s fine. But yeah, I mean, even when you have more time, if you don’t connect with the person, it feels like a nightmare. And then you’re just sitting there counting down the minutes until you go mental.”

“Which is why _this_ is honestly the biggest relief.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“So, can we just enjoy this?” she pleaded. “And not worry about how long we have?”

Much to Jemma’s relief, he nodded urgently. “Yeah, of course.”

“It’s a deal, then? We won’t check?”

“Right, it’s a deal.”

“Shall we shake on it?” she asked, extending her hand forward.

He took it without hesitation. “Absolutely.”

They almost didn’t notice when their waiter dropped off their plates, too absorbed in the stories of their previous relationships and catching up with each other after so much time. But even though there were months in between each of their meetings, to Jemma, it didn’t feel like any time had passed at all. Sure, they were more experienced when it came to navigating relationships, and they had plenty more to talk about. But somehow, it felt like they’d simply turned to the next page of their story, their parting glances at the pairing day celebration a hopeful sign for what was to come.

Despite the number of dates spent at that particular booth, Jemma was suddenly more than pleased to find herself there again, its curved structure allowing Fitz to drape his arm across the back, hovering just above her shoulders. And multiple times throughout the night, when her giggling got the better of her after a bit of teasing on his part, she reached forward to place her hand on his knee, an action she’d never engaged in on her previous dates. Beyond these new and overly welcome physical changes in their relationship, Jemma noticed other changes in Fitz’s personality that made her exceptionally happy. Whether it was being paired with her again, or simply feeling more confident in the System, she didn’t know. But whatever it was, Jemma reveled in how open and comfortable he was throughout their dinner, his heart shining through more than ever before.

After finishing her meal and downing the last of her wine, Jemma leaned back into the booth and let her head rest against his arm, sighing contently. Fitz tilted his head, letting out a similar slow breath before linking his index finger around hers in her lap.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Honestly, the most relaxed I’ve ever felt in a long time,” she said, fully taking his hand in hers. “I’m still can’t believe it matched us again.”

“Yeah, who knows how that happened.”

“Well, the System obviously thought there was something here that needs to be explored.”

At that, he chuckled. “You’re fine with a recycled match? Been there, done that.”

Jemma raised her eyebrows. “Well, _technically_ …”

“Okay, yes, I know we didn’t actually _do_ anything…”

“I’m just teasing,” she assured him, her hand moving to his shoulder. “But I swear, I’m perfectly happy to be matched with you again.”

He stayed quiet for a moment, his sweet expression so contagious that Jemma had to control herself from surging forward and wrapping her arms around him once more.

“Good,” he finally said. “Although, I feel like it’s breaking some sort of rule, but we’re already not checking the expiry date, so we could be turning the System completely upside down.”

She hummed in agreement. “Such rebels, we are.”

“What else should we do? Should we sit at a different booth?” he asked in a mock whisper.

She gave him an exaggerated gasp. “The scandal! Or we could switch our meals,” she added, failing miserably at stifling her giggles. “The waiters won’t know what hit them.”

When their laughter subsided, Fitz leaned in closer, keeping his voice low. “What do you think they do to people who don’t follow the rules?”

Jemma shrugged. “Banish them, I believe. Sounds nice, actually.”

As he tilted his head, his eyes grew soft. “Yeah, especially if we get banished together.”

 

 

 

 

 

\-----

 

 

 

 

 

The ride over to their new living quarters was just as exhilarating as before, but this time for an entirely different reason. Instead of getting lost in the beautiful scenery of the System world, they couldn’t help but get lost in each other, the moonlight doing wonders on their features and their already bright eyes shining even more as they held each other’s gaze for the entire ride. Every few moments, Jemma found a way to inch closer to Fitz’s side, her hands comfortably falling onto his leg. And if her observation skills weren’t failing her, she swore he was spending every few moments glancing at her lips. The thought sent a welcome chill down her spin, and with his relaxed energy at dinner, she predicted he wouldn’t mind taking things in a more intimate direction. With a slight tilt of her head, she invaded his space until they were just centimeters apart, and upon her movement, she heard him take in a quick breath. Her heart felt as if it was about to burst out of her chest, but just as Jemma was about to brush her lips against his, the vehicle came to a startling halt, sending them both toppling sideways in their seats. Jemma clutched onto Fitz’s knee to keep her balance, and from the corner of her eye, she could see Fitz shaking his head as he fought against a bit of laughter.

“Looks like we’re here,” he told her through a cheeky grin.

After letting themselves in with the familiar locking mechanism, Jemma twirled around herself and smirked. “And it looks the same as always.”

Fitz nodded as he followed her through the living space. “They really should update their décor if they want to keep things fresh.”

“Maybe they changed the bedding.” With a mischievous grin, she turned immediately and rushed toward the bedroom, but her face fell once she saw the familiar sight.

Fitz followed her in a moment later, giving her a soft sigh. “Nope, same as always. Blue comforter. Yellow pillows.”

Settling onto the edge of the mattress with a soft bounce, Jemma gave Fitz a slight shrug as she met his eyes. “But still comfortable.”

“Mm, that’s good.”

With her hands piled neatly in her lap, she kicked off her heels and watched him carefully as he kept a safe distance in the doorframe. Unlike his easy and pleasant demeanor throughout dinner and on the ride over, Jemma noticed Fitz developing a similar sort of nervous energy to how he appeared on their first date as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his shoes.

“Last time…” she began, hoping to ease him into the conversation.

At her words, he looked up. “Last time.”

She gave him a sweet smile, and with a tilt of her head, she shrugged again. “I mean, it was great, but…”

“But…”

“We kind of… missed an opportunity. I mean, _I_ would have—”

“Oh, bloody hell,” he mumbled, dropping his chin to his chest.

Jemma lurched off the bed and raced forward, framing his face with her hands once she was in front of him, encouraging him to meet her eyes. “Hey,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I’m just joking. We were both nervous. It was a lot to take in – a lot of pressure.”

Reaching up to pull at her wrists, he took her hands in his and cradled them towards his chest. “I know,” he said, nodding.

“We were each other’s first. And that’s special no matter what happened or what didn’t happen.” She paused to lick her lips. “But now, we don’t know how much time we have.”

“You’re right.”

“For all we know, we could have only ten minutes.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Now standing on her tiptoes, she let her forehead rest against his and moved her arms to wrap around his neck. “And… I don’t want to waste any more time.”

At that, he pulled back a hair, just enough to meet her eyes. A wave of happiness bloomed inside her chest at the sight of him. “Are you sure?” he asked.

Her lip curved into a soft smile as she nodded. “I’m sure.”

Jemma held his gaze for what felt like an eternity before she watched his hopeful expression transform into something she could only describe as complete elation. And that was all she needed to see for her to finally take the leap, wasting no time in beginning her exploration of every part of her extraordinary match.

Her lips were on his in an instant, and a rush of emotions filled her entire being at finally bridging the small gap between them. His lips were soft and sweet, nothing short of what she dreamt about more than she cared to admit during their time apart. At first, they moved at a slow pace, and Jemma let go of any last nerves in taking this next step with Fitz, savoring the feeling of him exploring her lips, relishing in how they moved together so gracefully. But then something came over her – a need that she never experienced with any other partner that she knew only Fitz could satisfy – so she moved her lips to his jaw and began trailing passionate kisses against his skin until she reached his neck. He let out the first audible moan of the evening, his hands coming to her waist as he held her steady. But she didn’t stop there, moving her lips to just above his collar as she began to unbutton his shirt and push his sport coat off his shoulders.

Stripping him of the garment was a bit of a struggle, both of them fighting a battle of eagerness versus the desire to take in every moment, but once he was free of it, Jemma continued on her path to press her lips to his chest, taking her time to unfasten each button and worship the skin she found underneath. When she finally unfastened the last of the buttons, she helped him pull the shirt off his arms, tossing it haphazardly on the floor before clutching onto his jaw once more to capture his lips in a more heated kiss.

And judging by these first few blissful moments, she knew she would never grow tired of kissing this man.

She continued her previous path of kisses, moving now to his collarbone as his breathing grew ragged. But before she could continue her pattern, she paused when she felt his hands move towards the top of her dress. He asked her a silent question with his eyes, and when she nodded with a smile, he pushed her hair out of the way before pulling the zipper down her back. Her smile widened at his careful hands, his movements filled with slight hesitation, but at the same time with excitement and wonder. When she arrived at the Hub restaurant hours before, she had anticipated another forgetful fling, so she almost couldn’t believe that Fitz was the one to show up instead, and now here he was undressing her in their shared living quarters. The thought made her feel as if she might burst from happiness.

With her back now exposed, she slowly let the straps of the dress fall off her shoulders and eventually allowed the fabric to fall to her feet. After she stepped out of it and kicked it gracefully to the side, they rested their foreheads together for a moment, letting a fit of nervous giggles escape them.

“You okay?” he whispered.

“Yeah. _More_ than okay.”

“Good.”

Their breaths eventually synced up, and in that moment, Fitz cradled Jemma’s face between his hands, almost as if it was the most precious thing in the world, and then pressed his lips to hers. Letting her hand snake around to move through his short curls, she sucked onto his bottom lip before slipping her tongue inside his mouth, basking in the feeling of his lips against hers, the way their tongues moved together, and how she wanted more. He gasped when she moved a hand to his belt, which she found encouraging, so she unbuckled it as swiftly as possible, never breaking their kiss. Moving onto his trousers, he helped her pull them down after slipping off his shoes, and then added them to the pile of clothes on the floor. And then he was lifting her up and encouraging her to wrap her legs around him as he carried her slowly towards the edge of the mattress. Suddenly feeling more eager to move things along, she collapsed against the bed, hoping he would follow, but then he just kneeled before her.

A chill traveled down her spine as she lay there in only her underthings, her breath catching in her throat as he took her in. Watching his gaze move from her face to her many curves and edges, his expression soft and kind, she reached behind her to unclasp her bra and then slid the straps down her arms before lightly tossing the fabric aside. He swallowed hard as he took in the sight of her bare chest, and then made his way up the mattress to hover above her, his breath warm against her neck. A gasp escaped her mouth as their hips finally met, feeling him hard against her. And beyond enjoying herself immensely, she was having quite the splendid time discovering what it was about her that left him breathless, watching him try not to stare completely at her breasts.

Upon collapsing on the bed, a strand of hair had worked its way haphazardly across her forehead, so he reached up to move it off her face before trailing his finger along her cheekbone. When he didn’t move for a few moments, Jemma swallowed, unsure of his current train of thought.

“What?” she asked calmly.

A faint smile worked its way onto his face. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured.

She squirmed against him, not yet used to his compliments, but he didn’t let up, whispering the sentiment again and again until she silenced him in a desperate kiss. As much as she adored listening to the words of affection fall from his lips, she had something else on her mind – something that put those lips to work in a much less innocent manner.  

Finally, he went to work exploring the parts of her previously left untouched, and Jemma closed her eyes as she reveled in his every move, his slow pace allowing her to truly get lost in the pleasure radiating through her limbs. Letting out several gasps as he adored her breasts, her back arched against the mattress as he focused a hand on one while his mouth teased and sucked the other. Just when she thought her heart was going to explode out of her chest, he moved on, pressing a line of kisses down her stomach. At reaching the hem of her knickers, he looked up with waiting eyes, and with an encouraging nod, she let him slowly pull the remaining fabric down her legs. Before she knew it, he was following up the path of his desire filled gaze with more kisses, first starting at her ankle, and then moving to her calf and the inside on her thigh, his lips just brushing against her skin, the anticipation of his touch building as he moved closer and closer to her center.

It had never been like this with her other partners. She’d never felt so wanted, so adored. And more than anything, she felt safe, almost as if they weren’t in the System world at all, but already together in the real world. And just from his gentle touches so far, she knew _this_ was what it was supposed to be like.

He continued his trail of kisses, taking his time to gently nip and suck at certain places when she became more vocal, and she soon let her legs fall open. And when he let up on his teasing and his mouth finally reached her center, Jemma had to press her fingers to her lips to keep from crying out, the feeling of his tongue exploring her most intimate places making her grow dizzy with sensation. She tried – and failed – to not rock upwards to meet his mouth, her entire body writhing for more of him.

“ _Fitz_ ,” she gasped, placing a desperate hand against the back of his neck, pulling at his curls. Humming against her, he continued his movements, now focusing his tongue on her bundle of nerves. “Please.”

He eventually eased off her, placing a quick peck on her hip bone before he moved up the bed to meet her. With scrambling hands, she found the hem of his boxer-briefs and pulled them swiftly down, a guttural moan emerging from his lips when her fingers wrapped around his length. His own hand reached out for the nightstand in search of the provided foil packet, which he located quickly from the top drawer.

But before they moved forward, Jemma wanted to find his eyes, needing to hold his gaze when they finally became one. Unlike her previous matches, she didn’t want to forget this, not a single second of seeing him truly let go when they came together in such a way. Just as she was beginning to think it wasn’t worth it – all the countless dates and months spent with dreadful partners – the System gave her the one person she wanted most, and now they weren’t going to waste even a second of time. When she did meet his eyes, the darkness of the room not doing them justice, she saw so much adoration behind them that her heart nearly skipped a beat.

It was everything and more when he finally pushed inside, her eyes widening with earth shattering pleasure as she felt him everywhere at once. Just as they’d let go of their ticking clock hours before, time truly fell away as they moved together, their bodies giving and taking as they found their rhythm. The fire within her was already threatening to erupt just from his tongue, and now as he thrusted into her with abandon, pleasing her in ways she never knew were possible, she knew they weren’t going to last long.

With every rush of pleasure that shot through her, it was nearly too much for her emotions to handle. After everything she’d been through, the many ups and downs of her countless relationships, to have found someone she connected with so deeply, and someone who truly cared for her in a way she never thought possible, it was everything she’d hoped for since beginning her journey with the System. And now here they were, discovering they fit together physically just as well.  Hiking her leg up higher, he thrust into her even deeper, and at the moment he reached a particular place inside her she could never reach on her own, she gasped against his shoulder, her fingernails leaving scratches down his back.

It only took one more look into his eyes combined with a particular deep thrust of his hips before she was crying out, seeing stars for what felt like the first time in forever, a rush of pleasure cascading through her entire body. He crashed over the edge a few moments later, his forehead falling to her shoulder as he let out a deep moan in his release.

As their frantic breaths slowly evened out, Fitz filling the space by trailing kisses along her hairline, her cheeks, her nose, Jemma wrapped her arms around him, moving until they were tangled together on their sides underneath the sheets.

Bringing her hand up to brush her fingers through his hair, she sighed heavily, watching as his eyes moved about the details on her face, his thumb tracing a pattern of freckles across her cheek.

“I’m so glad it’s you,” she whispered.

His mouth curved into a smile, and as he moved forward to press his lips against her forehead, his breath tickled at her skin. “Me too.”

Even if it was only their first time exploring such an intimate space together, to Jemma, it almost felt familiar: every touch, every kiss, every breath.

Because there in his arms, she felt like she was finally home. 


	4. Chapter 4

There was something thrilling about the absence of a countdown clock inside Jemma’s head – the usual constant reminder of what had already passed and what was still to come. Without it, she felt her mind truly clear for the first time, her thoughts centered on how the previous night had been nothing short of magical, how no other match had even come close to connecting with her on such a level, and how no matter how much time they had, _somehow_ , the System had paired them together again, and that carried weight. The clock didn’t completely disappear from her mind, of course, for she knew their time wasn’t for forever, but not worrying about it left her feeling lighter than ever before.

The lack of windows in the bedroom prevented her from knowing what time of day it was when she finally woke, but from her heavy limbs and dream filled night, Jemma knew they slept late through the morning, basking in each other’s warmth as they lay tangled underneath the bedsheet. Keeping her eyes closed, she savored the last few moments where Fitz didn’t know she was awake, his thumb gently stroking back and forth against her shoulder as he held her tight to his chest. She didn’t know if every night could possibly be as enchanting as the night before, but whatever their nights were like from that day forward, she knew she could get plenty used to waking up like this.

When she did look up, her eyes fluttering open, she was instantly reminded of their first night together and how sweet and cautious he was towards her. Even when they’d awoken in each other’s arms that next morning, he was so considerate in that moment, not wanting to push to fast even if their time had nearly expired. But not this morning. This morning, he pulled her in closer, his bare skin against hers sending waves of warmth and comfort through her. His smile was effortless as his eyes finally met hers with his hair ruffled slightly on the side in an adorable fashion. The detailed memories of the night before flooded to her mind once more, of gentle kisses and her hands tangled in his hair through gasps of ecstasy. Jemma couldn’t remember ever feeling so lucky.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi.”

 “I can see why the System matched us again. I would say we’re more than just compatible.”

“Nearly psychically linked, I would say.”

She giggled into his shoulder. “Last night was—”

“Brilliant, amazing, out of this world?”

“Okay, you,” she said as she twisted around in his hold to lie on top of him, “let’s not get carried away. But you’re right. It was.” At that angle, Jemma couldn’t help herself feeling flooded with desire, the sight of him with his hair disheveled and eyes bright blue sending jolts of electricity through her core. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips first to his temple before moving to his cheek and jaw, and then finally meeting his lips. He groaned against her as he deepened the kiss, but Jemma pulled back before they got away with themselves, lightly trailing her fingers along his hairline.

“I’m glad we didn’t look,” she murmured.  

“Me too.”

“It feels so much better, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, almost like a normal relationship.”

“And maybe this will be good in the long run.” He raised an eyebrow at her words. “Well, without us worrying about the clock,” she explained, “I’m sure the system will gather plenty of valuable data about our relationship. And maybe that will help…”

She trailed off when she saw something new in his gaze – a tinge of unease that instantly worked its way through her just from seeing it behind his eyes. Unlike other occasions where she simply could not place the looks on his face, this one she knew too well: the sadness at the thought of the inevitable end of their relationship. Closing her eyes, she let the thought drift from her mind. It was the point behind their agreement – to not think about the clock running out so they could live in the moment together. She knew it wouldn’t be easy with their Coaches always at their sides, but she had faith that they would uphold their promise.

When she opened her eyes, his face was softer, likely because he was doing the same as she: clearing his head and taking in the sight of her while he still could. As he traced the pad of his thumb across her cheek, she exhaled deeply. “Let’s not… think about that. Let’s just think about here and now.”

“Agreed.”

“What do you want to do today?” she asked, her mouth curving into a smile.

Through a dramatic sigh, he wrapped his arms tighter around her middle. “I’m content with staying in.”

“Mm, that does sound lovely.”

“But… we also don’t know how much time we have, so we should probably—”

“Not spend every hour in bed? As tempting as that sounds, I think you’re right. There’s the library, hiking trails, I think they have cooking classes—” Before she could continue, he pulled her down for a kiss and then rolled them over so she was lying on her back. With his hips now aligned with hers, she couldn’t help the groan that escaped her. “Okay, a _few_ more minutes won’t hurt,” she said through a chuckle before his silenced her with his lips.

 

 

  

\-----

 

 

  

Unlike their first time spent together almost a year ago, they were granted the pleasure of spending the day together (and what they hoped were many more days to come), so the first item on their agenda was to take a stroll along the pond. They packed a picnic lunch to enjoy under the cloudless sky, the near perfect weather another luxury of the System world. Jemma also made sure to stow her journals and writing utensils in her pack, hoping Fitz would humor her with a few sketches of the design ideas he talked so fondly of. Even if they couldn’t put them into practice, she truly wanted to learn more about his mind and all the ideas he had swirling around inside.

As they fell into a quiet stroll, Jemma noticed a particular ease between them that she couldn’t explain. Despite the large gaps between their time spent together, it felt nothing short of normal to let their fingers intertwine as they followed the trail out of their living quarters. And every so often, Jemma would forget that they had previously shared only a few conversations with each other since meeting for the first time, as their topics of discussion flowed from one to another as if they’d been finishing each other’s sentences for years. She didn’t expect anything less after their night together, as they were clearly on the same wavelength, but she was more than pleased to find they seemed to connect on every level.

After a lunch of sandwiches she freshly prepared for the two of them, Jemma allowed Fitz to sift through her journal entries, most of which recounted her nature studies she completed in between matches. With her head in his lap, she nearly drifted off, but the subtle breeze caused Fitz’s own journal to flip open suddenly where it lay next to her, revealing a complex set of designs. The paper was worn where he’d erased bits and pieces several times over, which Jemma assumed meant he’d worked on the particular design for quite a long time. Lifting herself off his lap, she reached over to take hold of the notebook and looked closely at the design, letting her finger trace over the pencil markings.

“What are these?” she asked, meeting Fitz’s eyes.

“Something I’ve had in my head for a while.” He waved her over, so she moved to sit cross-legged next to him on the blanket and balanced the notebook on their knees.  “They’re drones,” he explained. “You’d probably find them fascinating.”

“Ah, wow,” she replied, looking more closely.  

“Each one would conduct a different sort of analysis – some would scan for textures and dimensions, others would test for matter density, radiation.”

“They’re amazing. They sort of look like spiders. How big are they?”

“Bigger than spiders. Although, now I’m thinking about robotic insects, and that’s quite the idea.”

“Oh, but not spiders, something more beautiful like butterflies. Or bees!” She scrunched her nose as her eyes shifted over his design, her imagination already running wild. “They would be so adorable, analyzing all the different plants around the pond. I could get much more accurate readings that way.”

“Yes, but could you imagine robotic bees flying around? People would lose their minds.”

Jemma lowered the notebook to her lap, and through a slight pout, she nodded. “I see your point. Sounds a bit terrifying when you think about it like that.”

After a few moments of quietly taking in the design’s details, she heard Fitz let out a soft huff. “But that’s that, I suppose,” he said, his tone filled with a slight edge of defeat. Through a deep sigh, he leaned back until he was lying flat on the blanket and gestured for her to join him.

Before she moved next to him, she reached across the blanket and picked up her device. “Coach, I know I’ve asked this before, but are you sure there isn’t a lab anywhere in the System?”

“ _I’m sorry, but my answer has not changed. The System’s facilities are reserved for recreational purposes only_.”

“And who says experimenting in a lab isn’t recreational?”

“They probably wouldn’t want us causing havoc. Who knows what we could get up to if we put our minds to it?”

“Take over the world.”

“This world or the real one?”

She arched her eyebrow. “Both if we’re lucky.”

He laughed lightly. “I don’t think Coach would appreciate us breaking so many rules. We’re already breaking enough as it is.”

“You act as if it has feelings. You didn’t name it, did you?” At her question, he pulled in his lips. “Ugh, _Fitz_.”

“What? When you talk to it enough, it felt polite to give it a name.”

“Well, what did you name it?”

“Enoch,” he said almost proudly.  

Letting out a loud chuckle, she reached forward to clutch his hand. “You are an odd one.”

“No, I think that title belongs to you, Miss butterfly drones.”

Fitting herself comfortably into his side, Jemma traced her fingers across his chest as she exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry you can’t bring any of your designs to life. I’m sure they’d be extraordinary.”

He hummed in response before intertwining their fingers. “Maybe I’ll figure out a way on the other side.”

“I hope so.”

“What are you hoping for outside the System? Besides your match, of course.”

She smiled against his chest. “I’d like a lab. Maybe a group of scientists to work with. I don’t see myself staying put.”

“World traveler?”

“Mm, yeah. So many places in the world to see, and without having to worry about your time running out.” She paused, letting her mind wander to other dreamlike places, ones she wanted more than a lab, more than anything in the world. “But then, maybe a quiet place to settle down doesn’t sound so bad. Maybe a cottage somewhere.”

_A cottage for two._

He stayed quiet for a while, so Jemma wrapped herself more securely into his side, breathing him in and letting the warmth of his arms and the sunlight casting down on them ease her into a gentle nap. But before she drifted off, she felt his lips pressed to her crown before he whispered, “that does sound nice.”  

 

 

 

\-----

 

 

_Four months later_

 

 

It was almost too difficult for Jemma to describe the utter joy she felt during her last several months with Fitz.

From their frequent outings to the pond where he assisted in her exploration of everything that made up the System’s natural world to their nights spent in trading books back and forth across their bed, each of them excitedly wanting the other to hear the most fascinating tidbits from their readings, each day offered something new and something to cherish. Although they wanted to keep themselves active in their time together without restricting themselves to any sort of routine, there were small habits that seemed to stick. Like how every morning without fail, Jemma would rise first, always one to appreciate an early start to the day, but Fitz would insist they stay in bed for a least ten more minutes. Which would then turn to fifteen, and then twenty before Jemma literally pulled him from bed into their shower. Outside of their morning ritual, there were several other moments that occurred on a regular occasion throughout their time together. Whenever they perused the System’s well stocked library, Fitz would sweetly step back as Jemma browsed, him waiting patiently as she piled volume after volume into his outstretched arms. As for their dinners at home, they made an effort to share in the cooking, moving around in the kitchen like a well-oiled machine with Jemma excelling at savory dishes and Fitz finding his way more so through the dessert menu.

Beyond their romantic relationship, Jemma felt (and suspected that Fitz shared in her feelings) that they were partners in life in general. She couldn’t remember ever meeting someone that matched her on an intellectual level, and more than anything, she felt like Fitz was the long-lost friend she didn’t even know she was searching for.

“Do you think about it? How it all works?” she asked him during a calming afternoon.

From her position in the bath, her back pressed against Fitz’s chest as he pulled a few loose tangles from her hair, Jemma couldn’t see his expression. Even though she had already grown sick of the standard décor of the living quarters, the inclusion of the large bath tub was a luxury she made sure to enjoy in her time with Fitz. As they relaxed after another outing through one of the System world’s hiking trails, the hot water in combination with the warmth of his arms wrapped around her soothed her sore muscles.

But no matter how hard she tried to unwind, nothing was stopping her brain from returning to troubled thoughts of the System, her mind recently consumed by its inner workings as she fell asleep every night. Beyond her and Fitz’s promise to not look at their expiry date, they also shared an unspoken agreement to not dwell on thoughts of the System, at least not for too long. But she felt her current thoughts were an exception to their rule. She wasn’t necessarily thinking about their relationship in the System and the unbounded anguish she felt whenever she thought of their time running out, but more so the System itself and how its process of matching individuals may not be as scientific as she once thought. She knew she was lucky to have found someone like Fitz on her first go around, but as much as it pained her to admit, maybe it wasn’t science that brought them together. But if it wasn’t science, she didn’t have any idea what else it could be. 

Fitz moved his hand up and down her arm as he stayed silent, her question lingering in the air as he rinsed away some of the stray shampoo. “All the time,” he finally answered. “I can’t help it. I mean, when it claims to have a 99.8% success rate, you start to think about how that could be. What about you?”

Turning around so they were facing each other, the water sloshing over the edge of the tub, Jemma reached for a flannel and soaked it with suds before moving it across Fitz’s chest. “When I started this whole thing, I had full faith that it was reliable, that it was a clever and revolutionary way of finding the right partner. The science behind it made sense, and it sounded extraordinary.”

“Have your feelings changed?”

“I don’t know how I feel about it now. I can’t stop thinking about how it decides how long each relationship should last, and what criteria it uses to determine who we match with and in what order. Because what if it’s random? I don’t understand how any one of those flings were any different from the other.”

He nodded. “Hmm, go on.”

“Maybe instead of a seemingly sophisticated way of matching us up every time, it’s just giving us match after match after match so that once they make the final offering, you accept it without thinking much about it. By that point, you’re exhausted from all these other relationships that when they claim to have found ‘the one,’ you blindly go along with it no matter who they are because you want to be done with the whole process. At least, that’s what they want you to do.”

“That could be true.” He scoffed. “Would explain why I got matched with Nicola.”

“Right. And why I got all those 36-hour relationships. And maybe that’s why the System is so successful. It’s doesn’t necessarily succeed at finding the right partner, just at finding _a_ partner and getting both parties to believe they’re right for each other.”

“Almost like a mind game,” he added.

“Exactly. And maybe 99.8% of the time, people do believe it. I’m sure there are cases where the match is sincere, and they are meant to be, but you have to wonder how many people simply settled.” She slid down deeper into the tub, letting her hair submerge in the water before straightening back up. “Or maybe I’m completely wrong,” she said through a shrug, “and it’s all as it says it is: matchmaking down to a science.”

“Maybe.”

Jemma watched as something seemed to shift behind his eyes. “What is it?”

“I have another theory.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.” He sat up straighter, so she made sure to give him his full attention. “Okay, say it isn’t random,” he began, “that the system does actually take into account all of our thoughts, feelings, and experiences from every previous relationship to find us a new match each time. If this thing truly takes in everything inside our head, everything – our weaknesses, our late-night thoughts, our insecurities – does _it_ have thoughts?”

“It? Like the System itself?”

“Right.” 

She found it quite fitting that he would think such a thing. He was the one that named the damn thing, after all. “Now you’re gonna say ‘what if that’s us inside there and we’re stuck in a simulation?’ right?”

“It’s possible. Maybe it is all programming and we’ve been manipulated to go along with it.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. But I will tell you one thing.” Before she continued, she made her way to his side of the tub and circled her arms around his neck. “How I feel about you, about us – that’s not programming. That’s real.”

His smile grew as she moved a hand through his hair. “I know,” he said. “And even if it is all programming, I got to meet you. So, I can’t really fault it, now, can I?”

“Nope.”

“But still. It makes you think.”

“Speaking of which, I think we’ve done enough of that for one day, don’t you think?”

“Probably.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she pulled him against her in a full embrace. “I know we said we wouldn’t talk about it—”

“No, it’s okay. I’ve been thinking about it, too.”

She pulled back to meet his eyes again. “It’s just easier talking about it with you.” As she leaned forward, her mouth curving into a smile, he cupped her cheek and gently pressed his lips to hers.

By now, she’d lost count of how many times they’d kissed since that first night. She was more invested in discovering the different kinds of kisses they shared: stolen kisses in the library, kisses on cheeks in between errands and countless cups of tea, heated kisses under the sheets. And by far, her favorites were the ones that greeted her when she woke up, his lips just brushing against her forehead as she welcomed another day at his side.

But to her surprise, she wasn’t greeted to her favorite kiss the next morning.

Instead, she awoke to an empty bed, an unusual occurrence given their normal routine. Thinking back to the night before, she couldn’t recall anything odd about Fitz’s behavior, so she hoped he wasn’t ill or something worse had happened in the middle of the night. But her fears quickly dissolved once she found him looking out their floor to ceiling window in the living space, still donning his sleep attire and clutching a steaming mug of tea in his hand.

“You’re up early.” She kept her voice low to not startle him, and when he turned his head, she stepped forward to wrap her arms around his middle.

“Yeah, I don’t know. Just felt like getting up.” He dropped his chin to the top of her head.

“Are you okay?” she asked into his shirt.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m good.” Noticing a slight shift in his usual morning tone, she looked up. At her worried expression, he shrugged. “Guess my mind was still hung up from our conversation yesterday.”

Nodding, she pulled him in closer. “I don’t want you to worry about that, okay?”

“Yeah, I know. I won’t.”

“Okay,” she sighed into his chest.  Standing on her tiptoes, she cupped his face to give him a quick kiss, lingering for a moment just for the sake of it. She never grew tired of their mornings, from the quiet and peaceful oasis of their living quarters to the safety she felt in always waking up by his side. And even though he technically wasn’t lying next to her when she opened her eyes that morning, he was still here, and that was what mattered. After gently squeezing his shoulder, she walked over to the kitchen to pick up the kettle for herself. “What should we do today? The usual?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Sounds good,” he answered, nodding.  

She sighed in relief at finally getting a smile out of him.

The pond was empty that morning, likely due to the severe chill in the air, but the slight change in weather didn’t stop the pair from finding their favorite spot.

“Look at that,” Jemma said, her arm linked through Fitz’s as they came to the end of the walking trail. “Place to ourselves. You like it that way, don’t you?”

“Hmm? Yeah, I do. It’s quiet.”

When they reached the edge of the pond, Jemma raised her arms above her head in a stretch and exhaled deeply. “Did you finish that book I gave you?”

“The one about the vaccines?”

“Anti-serums, but yes. That one.”

He shook his head. “Not yet. I was tired yesterday, and I didn’t stay up much longer after you went to sleep.”

“You’ll let me know when you do.”

“Of course.”

She signaled in the direction of the Hub with her thumb. “And I wouldn’t mind making another trip to library if you’re up for it.”

He nodded immediately. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.”

Jemma pulled in her lips. It wasn’t that he agreed with her suggestion that concerned her. It was how quickly he responded that made her think something else was bothering him, something more than just a conversation from the day before. For a moment, he even reminded her a bit of Milton. She shuddered at the thought.

Needing a distraction, she dragged the toe of her boot against the ground and came across some stones, so she picked one up and tried to skip it across the water. On her first attempt, the stone hit the surface and produced a small splash before sinking to the bottom. She’d seen Fitz take up the hobby on a number of occasions, so she thought he might join her now. But alas, he stayed in his spot, staring off at the water deep in thought. Frowning, she turned over her shoulder and placed her hands on her hips. “Would you help me?”

For a moment, he shook his head as if he were coming out of an intense daydream, but then he nodded and made his way to her side. Standing behind her, he shaped his arm around hers. “Here, bring it back like this, and then release. It’s all in the wrist.”

When she released her stone and watched it sink into the water with a frown, he picked up a few stones of his own to demonstrate. Jemma watched in awe as the stones skipped across the pond with ease. “You’re good at this,” she told him. “When did you learn?”

His brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. “Can’t remember,” he finally answered.

She narrowed her eyes only briefly, but then thought better of it to question him further. “Alright, then.”

Returning her attention to the water, she released another stone and watched it skip twice across the water before sinking below the surface. Already eager to try again, Jemma bent over to fetch more stones, examining them closely between her fingers to find the proper shape and weight. After a while, Fitz moved back to his position a few meters away to watch her from afar, his hands buried deep in his coat pockets.

“Have you ever gotten more than four?” Jemma asked before releasing another stone, watching it skip across the pond as it gracefully completed four hops. He didn’t answer, his eyes gazing out in the distance. “Fitz?” she asked over her shoulder.

Meeting her eyes, he shook his head instantly. “Nah, I don’t think so.”

She turned back to the pond, hoping he wouldn’t see her defeated expression. She knew she would meet the many sides of Fitz as they dove deeper into their relationship. But seeing this version of him so closed off caused something to twist in her stomach.

Whatever it was, she decided to let it rest for now.

 

 

  

\-----

 

 

 

Walking to the Hub was her idea, as she hoped a change in scenery would help lighten his mood, even if she still had no idea why he was acting so peculiar. When she noticed a shift in him that morning, she didn’t question it too much, hoping it would pass once they went about their normal daily activities together. But now she was more than worried. She’d never seen him like this in all their time together, so clearly something wasn’t right. Unfortunately, the activity of the Hub did little to lift his spirits; if anything, he appeared even more lost than before. So, after browsing a clothing shop together in silence, Jemma couldn’t take it anymore. As he trailed behind her down the escalator, Jemma strode forward, but then abruptly turned around, nearly running into him as he caught up to her.

“Alright, enough,” she said.

“Sorry?”

“I know something’s wrong, and… I wish you would be open with me about it.”

Instead of responding, he licked his lips before shifting his gaze to the ground. Jemma’s heart sank at his silence, so she moved forward to clutch his wrist, forcing him to meet her eyes. “Fitz, we tell each other everything. What is it?” When he still didn’t answer her, she squeezed his arm, her eyes wide with concern. “What is it?” she asked again more urgently.

Finally, he met her eyes and let out a slow breath. “I looked,” he uttered softly, his voice filled with defeat.

Jemma furrowed her brow. “You… you looked?” His words slowly sunk in, causing her to let go of his arm. She could picture it clearly now, how he woke up early that morning while she was still deep in slumber, his device probably haunting him from its position on their nightstand. Even she had thought about it a few times, but she never acted on the urge to tap the device and reveal their fate. The countdown clocks from previous relationships took a toll on her mental health, so she knew it was a horrendous idea to even think of looking. But more importantly, she didn’t want to look because that was what they’d promised.

His words echoed through her mind, and as her heart began to hammer inside her chest, she took a few steps away from him to get ahold of her feelings. Seeing her retreating, he kept his position, but never dropped his gaze. “You looked at our expiry date?” she asked. “Even when we promised we wouldn’t?”

“I’m sorry. I know it was wrong, but I wanted to know so—”

“You needed to know how much time we had left.”

“Jemma.”

“You couldn’t just enjoy it?” Her voice rose slightly as she drew her hands into fists at her sides. “That was the _point_. We didn’t look at the time because it didn’t matter.” She didn’t want to argue with him. But it was sacred – their promise to focus on each other, not the System. And now to hear that he had broken that promise was much harder to bear than she anticipated.

Shaking his head frantically, he closed the space between them, clearly wanting to reach out for her, but deciding against it. “But it does matter. Because I like you. Like _properly_ like you. And I want to be with you, but this thing won’t let that happen.” At his last words, he pulled the device from his coat pocket and waved it in front of his chest. His grip on the circular device was so severe that for a moment, Jemma thought he might toss it over the edge of the Hub’s railing. “And I didn’t look because I wanted to know how much time was left. That’s not why.”

“Then why?”

“I wanted to see if maybe we could overcome it. No matter how much time it said we had, I wanted to see if there was a way we could… I don’t know, rebel against it. Just forget the System.”

Jemma scoffed, but only to try to hide the wavering in her voice. “How? How would we do that? It doesn’t let you do that.”

“Maybe we could figure it out together,” he pleaded. “With our minds, we could figure it out and beat the System. We could ignore it and go over the wall.”

“But there’s nothing out there,” she responded weakly.

“How do you know?”

“Because you only get to leave after you’ve found your perfect match. That’s how the System works.”

“There could be something. We question it all the time! I believe there’s something beyond this prison.”

Her tears were falling freely now, and at his last words, Jemma shook her head, her face screwing up in anguish. “You think it’s a prison?”

“Not when I’m with you,” he told her, his voice breaking at his last word. “But I want more than this. I want more time than what it promises.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I didn’t want to spoil the day.” As he shook his head, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jemma, I’m sorry.”

“How much time?” When he didn’t respond, she huffed. “ _Tell_ _me_ how much time we have left.”

Swallowing hard, he looked up with a grave expression on his face. “About an hour.”

Jemma couldn’t help the sob that escaped her, bringing her hand up to her mouth to stifle it as much as possible. An hour. By the time they made it back to their living quarters, it would only be a few short minutes before their departure vehicles would arrive. She couldn’t bear to picture it in her head – walking away from him just like last time and going their separate ways. She got over it the first time, knowing they were bound to find happiness in the future with other partners. But she couldn’t imagine having to sit in a vehicle alone and watch him get carried off in the opposite direction without her. She was so caught up in the image inside her head that she almost didn’t hear him utter his next sentence.

“It was supposed to be five years,” he whispered.

His words knocked the breath right out of her lungs.

“What?”

_Five years_.

Five years they could have spent together if they had kept their promise. Five years of nights spent in reading and discussing their latest discoveries. Five years of dreaming up designs together and imagining a lab built for two. Five years of visits to the pond, homemade dinners, and sleeping late into the afternoon. Five years of loving each other.

It made sense – they fit so well together that obviously the System knew they deserved that much time. But what also made sense to Jemma was the System finding another way to screw them over. Sure, they always found their way back to one another. But she couldn’t see it happening again. Not this time.

After taking in a shuddering breath, she looked up to find his eyes red with tears. “What happened?”

He exhaled slowly, and Jemma could see the guilt written all over his face, making her heart ache. “When I tapped my device,” he explained, “it said ‘five years.’ But then it started recalibrating, I don’t know what happened. I couldn’t get it to stop.”

“So, you broke it.” She instantly regretted her words, knowing they weren’t true, so she closed her eyes and lowered her chin to her chest.

“No, I don’t know what happened,” he uttered.

“I wanted you, too,” she said softly. “But not like this. Not with an expiry date hanging over our heads. It’s too much.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Reaching forward, he placed his hands on her shoulders and then moved them up and down her arms. “Let’s just try to enjoy the last bit of it, okay?”

Pulling in her lips, she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“Jemma.”

“Please, I can’t. I’m sorry, I—” Her voice broke off at the sight of him, his own tears threatening to spill over, knowing this was it. This was the end.

“Jemma, _please_ ,” he begged.

After looking at him one last time, she turned to release herself from his hold, another sob threatening to escape at the loss of contact. It was for the best, she told herself. Letting it go on any longer would only make it worse. “I’m sorry,” she muttered before turning around completely, wrapping her arms around herself, and walking away. She immediately picked up the pace, praying he wouldn’t follow her.

And for once, she didn’t look back over her shoulder.

She was in a near trance, her emotions sending her into a state of panic as she tried to control her breathing, and it wasn’t until she was at her familiar front door that she realized her feet had taken her to the only other place she figured she could go – her individual living quarters. But when she placed her hand up to the locking mechanism, the touchpad flashed red.  

_Access Denied_

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” she yelled, slamming her hand against the outside wall. She then rummaged in her pocket and pulled out her device, cursing the bloody thing but knowing it was her only source for answers at the moment. “Coach, why can’t I go inside?”

“ _Your relationship does not expire for another 47 minutes. Until then, you are only allowed access to your assigned living quarters with your designated match_.”

 “Yeah, well, I don’t want to go back there, okay?”

_“You will need to vacate your living quarters before your time expires_.”

“Can’t someone pick up my things?”

There was an extended pause before the artificial intelligence voice came back to life.

“ _That can be arranged_.”

Through a shallow breath, Jemma let her back rest against the outside wall of the flat and eased herself towards the ground before circling her arms around her knees. She chose his jumper that day, the slightly oversized fit a comfort even when he wasn’t physically holding her in his arms. But now it only made her heart ache even more.  

The System provided thorough instructions for how to pleasantly end a relationship on civil terms. But as Jemma continued to silently weep into the sleeve of the jumper, feeling as if someone had clawed her heart out from her chest, she realized the System could have never prepared her for what it felt like to lose a match without warning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would recommend reading this chapter on a desktop. And for the full experience of the last scene, click the link when you see the music note ♫ :D

 

The next few days were a mere blur as Jemma tried any means to distract herself from the constant anguish she felt from the early end of their relationship. But no matter where she went or what she ate, no matter how she spent her time alone, her actions always brought her thoughts back to Fitz. She didn’t blame him for looking. If anything, she blamed herself. It was her idea to discuss theories about the System and what probably brought about him checking the expiry date. And for all she knew, the curiosity would have likely gotten the better of her eventually, and she didn’t know how long she would have even lasted without looking herself. She still didn’t know what would have been worse: leaving as she did that day or spending that last hour together. But she didn’t like to think on that too much knowing there was nothing she could do about it. Likely, he was already onto his next match by now. Jemma didn’t like to think about that either.

Ever since her and Fitz’s tearful last moment together at the Hub, Jemma had done everything in her power to avoid talking to her Coach. The constant reminder of what drove a wedge through their relationship only caused Jemma to feel nauseous, and if it weren’t for her need to follow through with the rest of the System process, she probably would have chucked it into the pond by now.

Eventually, the only thing that could bring her any sort of peace was to stay in bed. After her fourth straight day with her head buried in her pillow, doing little beyond her everyday necessities, her Coach’s voice came to life on her nightstand, encouraging her to go outside so she would feel refreshed once she was inevitably set up with another match. At the sound of the artificial intelligence’s voice, Jemma wanted to smash the small device against the wall but thought better of it. She eventually complied, knowing her health was probably the most important thing to focus on at the moment, and so she gathered her things to spend the afternoon at the pond.

The sun was annoyingly bright that day, and any other time, she would have relished in the beauty of the outdoors and gone about her usual observations. But today, she didn’t see the point if she had no one to discuss her findings with. With her head resting against the blanket on the grass, her eyes shielded by shades in a fruitless attempt at relaxation, Jemma almost didn’t hear the familiar chirp of her device where it sat next to her.

“ _Congratulations, Jemma. Your ultimate match has been identified. Your pairing day is tomorrow_.”

Jemma removed her shades and brought her fingers to her lips. “Tomorrow.” Willing her tears to stay at bay, she let out a slow breath. “So that’s it, then. The System’s finally found _the one_.”

“ _That is correct. After carefully analyzing all the data collected over the course of your previous relationships, the System is pleased to present you with its chosen ultimate match._ ”

“Lovely.”

_“Once you meet your ultimate match, you will be free to leave the System world forever.”_

The real world and all its promises, Jemma thought. Hopefully, it was better than this nightmare.

She cleared her throat to rid the lump that was forming there. “Okay. Is there anything I have to do before then? To prepare?”

 _“Prior to pairing day, you have been allocated a short farewell period with an individual of your choosing_.”

Jemma raised her eyebrows. “Like I get to say goodbye to someone?”

_“That is correct. Data shows this can help provide psychological closure.”_

Almost forgetting to breathe, Jemma looked down at her device in astonishment. She would get to see him again – one last time before the end.

 “Fitz,” she exclaimed without hesitation, “I choose Fitz.”

_“Your choice has been registered.”_

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She knew she should have been more surprised, but since it already happened twice before, it only made sense they would meet again. Still, it almost didn’t feel real. Almost.

“Where are we meeting?” she asked urgently.

_“Usual booth, 7:30 p.m.”_

“And then I meet my ultimate match?”

_“That is correct.”_

Jemma’s face fell slightly as she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, a new thought suddenly entering her mind.

Did the System really expect her to see the person she considered her perfect match, and then simply leave him for someone else?

And then it hit her, all of her feelings about the System – all her doubts and worries and everything in between – it all suddenly rushed back to her with more clarity than ever. Even through her doubts in the process, she knew the System would do everything in its power to succeed in pairing her with the perfect match. In providing her with a farewell period, it was clear to Jemma that this is what was meant to happen. They were meant to see each other one last time.

And for Jemma, the System would succeed. Just not in the way it was designed to happen.

After standing from her blanket, she approached the edge of the pond, her device balanced in the palm of her hand. “One more thing, Coach.”

“Yes, Jemma?”

“Count to four.”

_“One, two, three, fo—”_

Before her Coach could finish the last word, the device was already sinking to the bottom of the pond. Fitz would have been impressed with her improvement in skipping stones, and with four perfect skips of her device across the pond’s surface, having released it from her hand with flawless precision, Jemma let out a heavy sigh of relief. She was finally free.

With a satisfied huff, she turned on her heel to head towards her living quarters to prepare for her evening.  

It didn’t make sense to Jemma how they were so perfectly matched for each other, but the System somehow thought there were other people out there more suited for the two of them. And if they were truly not supposed to be together, why would the System let them find each again only to rip them back apart? The first match was based on their personality profiles, so it made perfect sense that they would meet. And even after only twelve hours, Jemma had managed to form a connection with Fitz stronger than any other match she’d ever encountered. And then the pairing day celebration…the _invitation only_ pairing day celebration. There was the possibility that it was pure coincidence that they ran into each other that day, but Jemma couldn’t let it go. Because the System had made it so that they would see it each other that night. And then the System had matched them together again. And now, after _all_ that, the System was allowing them to see each other one last time.

Because it wasn’t just a matching process.

It was a test.

It all aligned perfectly in Jemma’s mind, everything from the matching process, the pairing day celebration, the countless matches in between, and the certainty she felt whenever she was with Fitz. It was as if letting go of her Coach was what helped her see it all clear as day.

Once the realization struck her so fiercely, the hours until their meeting passed at an agonizingly slow rate, so Jemma spent the time getting everything straight in her mind, knowing they probably wouldn’t have much time to spend together at the restaurant. But once her wristwatch finally read 7:30 pm, Jemma marched straight into the Hub’s restaurant, dodging guests left and right as she frantically made her way toward their booth. And when she finally saw him, the rest of the System world seemed to wash away as she focused solely on his eyes, his smile, and the joy blooming inside her at the sight of him.

With a slight skip in her step, she raced forward as he stood from his chair, and with a force backed by her immense happiness, she clutched onto his jaw for dear life and crashed her lips into his. The kiss was unlike anything they’d experienced in the past, the sheer desperation to cling to one another stronger than even their first kiss they shared in their living quarters. When they finally separated, gasping for air, Jemma felt her head spinning as she processed the feeling of his hands around her waist, her forehead against hers.

“Hi,” she gasped.

“Jemma, I’m so sorry.”

“No, no, it’s alright,” she pleaded, pulling him into a quick hug. “We’re fine. I missed you so much. I know it was just a few days, but I couldn’t—”

“Wait, check the time.”

She patted her empty pocket. “I got rid of mine.”

“Seriously?” he asked, clearly impressed.

“I’d had enough,” she explained through a laugh.

They shuffled into their booth, and Fitz pulled out his device and handed it to Jemma. “Your turn to check. How long?”

After tapping the device, she let out a short breath. “Less than two minutes.”

“Jesus,” he half yelled, slamming his hand violently down on the table.

At his outburst, Jemma pulled on his hand and cradled it between both of hers, shifting closer to him behind the booth. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“My pairing day’s tomorrow,” he informed her.

“Mine too.”

“But I don’t want to meet them. I don’t want any part of it.”

At his words, her eyes began to well up, and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. “Me neither.”

“Jemma, I want you.”

Reaching forward to cup his cheek, she sighed. “And I want _you_.”

“So, what do we do?”

“ _Failure to comply with the System could result in banishment_ ,” his Coach informed them.  

“Ah, fuck off.”

“Fitz, it’s all a test,” she insisted, squeezing his hand. “Think about it. What do you remember of your life before you got here? Your childhood, family, your job, anything?”

With his gaze focused on her, his eyes narrowed in concentration. But after a few moments, he furrowed his brow. “Nothing. I-I don’t remember anything.” He shook his head, and Jemma watched the confusion and fear suddenly fill his face. “Why can’t I remember anything?”

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” she reassured him, moving her hands to his shoulders to calm him. “That’s the point. You’re not supposed to. Because it’s all a test. Do you remember when we first met? At this same booth? You were so quiet and shy, and I was too, but it felt right, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“How did you feel?”

“I felt safe. I felt like I was home. Almost like we’d…”

“Met before? Exactly. Fitz, I think we have. Somehow, I think this isn’t the first time this has happened. That we’ve been paired together again and again, and we’d probably be paired together a thousand times over. And there’s a reason for it.” Her eyes were beaming now, overcome with clarity. “Even since that first night,” she continued, “this world – it’s been trying to keep us apart. Our first time together was only for twelve hours, and then the System put us through countless miserable pairings before we found each other again. And then when that happened, when it matched us again—”

“The System screwed us over,” he finished for her.

She nodded. “We were supposed to have so much more time. And it’s still trying to keep us apart. But I think that’s the point.”

“It’s a test.”

Her smile widened. “It has to be. Because why would it match us up again? Why give us the chance to see each other one last time? It doesn’t make sense unless…”

“Unless we’re supposed to rebel.”

“And that’s how we pass. Fitz, that’s how we pass the test. To prove that we’re supposed to be together.”

“We just have to forget it all. Forget the System, forget all of this.”

Nodding, she clutched his shoulder. “Right, and just go. We get over the wall,” she said, lowering her voice, “and we get out of here.”

“No matter what’s out there.”

“I don’t care what’s out there,” she said, her eyes shining. “It could be nothing, but all I know is that I want you. So, let’s _go_.”

His smile at her words was contagious. “Yeah, let’s go.”

But when they stood from their booth, every other person inside the restaurant – the waiters, the bartenders, the dozens of pairs enjoying their meals together – every single person turned and laid their eyes on the two of them like daggers.

Jemma swallowed hard, but when she felt Fitz grip her hand fiercely in his, she knew that this was it. This was what they were meant to do. If it didn’t work, she didn’t know what would happen. They would be banished likely, sent God knows where. But with him by her side, she didn’t care.

But something in her gut was telling her it would work. It had to.

When she took a single step forward, a man walked out from behind a waiter, stopping Jemma in her tracks. One of the System security guards, the man was one Jemma would never dare cross in the past, but now she knew the only way for them to even stand a chance at getting over the wall was to confront him. With a taser gun in his hand, she knew he would try to stop them by any means necessary. But something deep in her mind told her it wouldn’t hurt her. When she walked forward and placed her hand against the electrical current, instead of doubling over in pain, Jemma’s touch deactivated the weapon, the current vanishing before her eyes.

And with her single touch, the rest of the world froze.

Jemma turned around to see Fitz looking on in shock, and with a single nod, they were off. With the rest of the System world’s population frozen in time, the pair weaved through the sea of people out of the restaurant before making their way towards the Hub’s exit. Hand-in-hand, they picked up speed, now racing in the direction of the wall – the place no one dared to approach before – but now they couldn’t get there fast enough, knowing it was likely their chance at freedom. Once they reached the wall, they noticed what was never there before: a ladder leading all the way to the top, so far up it seemed to disappear into the clouds. With Fitz’s hand on the small of her back, Jemma didn’t think and simply started to climb, with each step telling her they were right. This was their escape. Fitz followed closely behind her, taking the rungs with the same hopeful energy.

She looked down only briefly to make sure Fitz was still behind her, but when she looked back up, she noticed a faint movement in her peripheral vision. Stopping her climb for only a moment, Jemma glanced back towards the System world – or what she soon discovered was left of it. The ladder took them to the top of the wall, but they weren’t the only things traveling upwards. Just as their feet took each rung higher and higher, the System world was vanishing before their eyes. What had previously appeared as a realistic world of the Hub, the pond, and their living quarters was now just disappearing pixels, strings of code evaporating one by one, leaving behind only a sea of darkness.

Jemma looked down to find Fitz, and seeing him take in the phenomenon around them, she motioned for him to pick up his pace as they climbed towards the top of the wall. But eventually, the bits of disappearing code caught up to them, and Jemma could only desperately grasp onto Fitz’s hand before their world went dark.

 

 

 

\-----

 

 

 

The weight of Fitz’s hand was still in hers when Jemma awoke a moment later, so no matter where they were, she still felt safe knowing they made it out together. When she finally opened her eyes, she wasn’t greeted to the real world as the System promised, or another version of the System, or the banished wasteland the System threatened as a fate for those who gave up. Instead, Jemma saw herself and Fitz – nearly 1000 times over. The dark virtual plaza was empty save for hundreds upon hundreds of identical copies of themselves – a endless sea of Fitz and Jemma’s. They all wore different clothing, but other than that, they looked the same, every version holding hands as they quietly looked around the space, no version any less astonished than the next.

Jemma felt Fitz squeeze her hand, so she met his eyes before looking up. Hovering above their heads was a floating circle with a digital number at the center: 998. Looking back down, Jemma gave Fitz a curious expression before returning her gaze to the plaza. And just like the two of them, every other version of themselves had a similar number floating above their heads. The couple closest to them were labeled with the number 74, another couple a few meters away were number 472.

“Look,” her Fitz whispered.

Before Jemma had time to ask what was going on, the version of herself and Fitz standing next to them suddenly disappeared, transforming into a floating turquoise sphere of code before traveling towards the ceiling. One by one, each copy of themselves followed this same pattern, each sphere soaring upwards as they began to come together in a large mass. The turquoise pixels reflected off of Jemma’s eyes, and as they slowly created a giant ring of code above her, she watched in awe, only looking back down briefly to watch Fitz take in the sight. At the center of the ring was a digital counter, which was tallying up all the bits of code as they found their rightful places in the ring.

And with one last glance at Fitz, his eyes searching hers for answers she couldn’t provide, they too evaporated into mere pixels and traveled upwards to become the final missing piece of the puzzle.

If they hadn’t evaporated and if Jemma were still standing next to her chosen match, Fitz would have told her she was right. He would have told her that the System was trying to keep them apart, but together, they didn’t let that happen. Together, they found a way to stay side by side no matter what was on the other side of the wall.

He would tell her she was right.

It was a test.

And they were meant to rebel.

Once the tally was complete, the digital counter announced the final result: out of 1000 completed simulations, 998 of them resulted in rebellions.

After 1000 nervous first meetings, 1000 dinners in that same booth at the Hub, 1000 nights spent together wondering who could possibly compare to their first match, 1000 stolen glances and kisses on cheeks, and after 1000 tear filled goodbyes – 998 of those times, they rebelled. 998 versions of themselves didn’t care what the System told them to do. 998 versions didn’t check the expiry date. 998 versions didn’t care about their ultimate matches.

998 versions chose to be together no matter what.

And with that, the System’s matching process was complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

01001010 01100101 01101101 01101101 01100001 00101100 00100000 01101001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01101101 01100101 00101110 00100000 01000100 01101111 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01110100 01110101 01110010 01101110 00100000 01100001 01110010 01101111 01110101 01101110 01100100 00101110 00100000 01001010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01110000 01101100 01100001 01111001 00100000 01101001 01110100 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101111 01101100 00101110 00100000 01001001 00100111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01101101 01101001 01110011 01110011 01100101 01100100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01110011 01101111 00100000 01101101 01110101 01100011 01101000 00101110 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110011 01110000 01100101 01101110 01110100 00100000 00110110 00100000 01101101 01101111 01101110 01110100 01101000 01110011 00100000 01101100 01101111 01100011 01101011 01100101 01100100 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01101111 01100110 01100110 00101101 01110100 01101000 01100101 00101101 01100010 01101111 01101111 01101011 01110011 00100000 01101101 01101001 01101100 01101001 01110100 01100001 01110010 01111001 00100000 01110000 01110010 01101001 01110011 01101111 01101110 00101100 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01101101 01100101 01101110 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00100000 00111000 00110000 00100000 01111001 01100101 01100001 01110010 01110011 00100000 01100110 01110010 01101111 01111010 01100101 01101110 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01110000 01100001 01100011 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01101010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01101000 01101111 01110000 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01100110 01101001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00101110 00100000 01000001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01101000 01100101 01110010 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00101110 00100000 01011001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01101011 01101110 01101111 01110111 00101100 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100001 01101100 01101001 01111010 01100101 01100100 00100000 01110011 01101111 01101101 01100101 01110100 01101000 01101001 01101110 01100111 00111010 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01110101 01101110 01101001 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110011 01100101 00100000 01100011 01100001 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01110011 01110100 01101111 01110000 00100000 01110101 01110011 00101110 00100000 01000010 01100101 01100011 01100001 01110101 01110011 01100101 00100000 01110111 01100101 00100000 01101000 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01100011 01110010 01101111 01110011 01110011 01100101 01100100 00100000 01100111 01100001 01101100 01100001 01111000 01101001 01100101 01110011 00101100 00100000 01110111 01100101 00100000 01101000 01100001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01110100 01110010 01100001 01110110 01100101 01101100 01100101 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01110010 01101111 01110101 01100111 01101000 00100000 01110100 01101001 01101101 01100101 00101100 00100000 01110111 01100101 00100000 01110011 01110101 01110010 01110110 01101001 01110110 01100101 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01100010 01101111 01110100 01110100 01101111 01101101 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01000001 01110100 01101100 01100001 01101110 01110100 01101001 01100011 00100000 01101010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01110011 01101111 00100000 01110111 01100101 00100000 01100011 01101111 01110101 01101100 01100100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00101110 00100000 01000001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01100001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01101100 01101001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100001 01110100 00101100 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01110011 01110100 01110010 01101111 01101110 01100111 01100101 01110010 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01101110 01111001 00100000 01100011 01110101 01110010 01110011 01100101 00101110 00100000 01011001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01001001 00101100 00100000 01110111 01100101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01110101 01101110 01110011 01110100 01101111 01110000 01110000 01100001 01100010 01101100 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00101110 00100000 01001001 00100000 01100100 01101111 01101110 00100111 01110100 00100000 01110111 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01101100 01101001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101110 01101111 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00100000 01100100 01100001 01111001 00100000 01110111 01101001 01110100 01101000 01101111 01110101 01110100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00101110 00100000 01010011 01101111 00100000 01001010 01100101 01101101 01101101 01100001 00100000 01010011 01101001 01101101 01101101 01101111 01101110 01110011 00101100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01101101 01100001 01110010 01110010 01111001 00100000 01101101 01100101 00111111

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[♫](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUGJjlkbDjQ)

_burn down the disco_  
_hang the blessed DJ_  
_because the music that they constantly play_  
_it says nothing to me about my life_  
_hang the blessed DJ_  
_because the music they constantly play_

_♫_

 

Of all the things Jemma Simmons considered herself an expert in, dating was not one of them.

On normal occasions, she got on fine being alone. She was way ahead of everyone else intellectually at the SHIELD Academy and seeing as no one was remotely interesting to her from her classes (beyond a particular male rival from her chem lab), she figured finding a romantic partner that aligned with her personality and intellect was highly unlikely. So, she decided to leave it up to science to find her a suitable partner.

Well, if one counted a dating application as scientific. 

Earlier, she loaded her System app profile with as many intimate details about herself as possible, hoping it would find a perfect match for her amongst the large field of available guys at the Academy. She didn’t necessarily trust dating apps, but with little experience in relationships and feeling rather lost during her early months as a young protégée in the Science and Technology division, she figured it was worth a shot.

The current sight of the boiler room felt a bit overwhelming to say the least: the Smiths’ _[Panic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUGJjlkbDjQ) _ blaring out of the speakers, the punch bowl she was making sure to avoid at all costs, and the sea of couples around her either shouting in each other’s ears to be heard over the noise or making out in whatever spaces they could find.

Milking a drink in a corner by herself, she pondered how long it would take for the app to complete the process and find her match. But then over the music, a smile grew on her face when she heard the sudden alert from her phone, signaling the matching process was finally complete. It was the moment she was waiting for all night, but when the application lit up to reveal its chosen individual, Jemma nearly choked on her beer.

Out of all the people she’d noticed at the Academy, she would have never guessed that Leopold Fitz, the boy who hadn’t spoken a word to her, the boy who she thought hated her and was her biggest rival, was somehow the person she was meant to be with all along.

She scanned the room for a few seconds but didn’t see him. Maybe, she thought, he’d seen her picture appear on his app screen and he’d sauntered off in search of someone else, someone he didn’t despise. Or maybe he hadn’t spent the night impatiently waiting by his phone for his match like she had. Or maybe he’d already deleted the application.

But then she saw him.

A few meters away, he stood with his phone in his hand, but he wasn’t staring at the application. Instead, he was looking at her. And he was _smiling._

Maybe she was wrong about him. Thinking back to their classes together, she tried to remember every moment – every question he answered correctly, every time he looked away whenever she glanced in his direction. And the more she thought about it, all of the signs that told her he hated her, they really only existed inside her head. They had never had a proper conversation, and seeing him now, his expression so much lighter and full of hope, maybe she had been completely wrong about him.

She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her, the realization that her match had been a few rows back in Chemistry the whole time. When she met his eyes, his smile widened, and he was chuckling too, almost as if they both knew how unbelievable the whole thing was.

She took a deep breath, and with a playful step towards him – and thanks to the System app, a 99.8% chance of compatibility – Jemma had a feeling that her future was about to fall into place.     

 

 

_♫_

_hang the DJ_

_hang the DJ_

_hang the DJ_

_♫_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :D :D :D This was probably the most fun I've ever had writing a fic, so I really appreciate all the wonderful feedback you guys left in the comments after reading each chapter. If you have any questions about this universe, let me know in the comments! 
> 
> Annnnnd because I'm a sucker for easter eggs, the binary code before the closing scene is *clears throat* _**not random**_ , so you _might_ want to get yourself to a [translator](https://www.binarytranslator.com) for some added fun :D
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks again for reading!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at [whatlighttasteslike](http://whatlighttasteslike.tumblr.com)!


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